Hellrider: Leviathan Of The Skies
by Jahrtausend Schnee
Summary: 4000 years from the human's destruction, Axel is out to save what's left of the humans, and his only hope is a mysterious ship rumored to come from the bowels of hell itself, and the ships strange crew. Rated for Language/Violence. NOW WITH LEMON.
1. The Hammer Has Fallen

Well, here's another story gents, and ladies. Hahaha. Sorry, Love After Death, I'm working on the next chapter, hoping to get it up before it's ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. December 1st people! Hahahaha!!! I'm actually pretty excited, it's been almost one year, and I'm still working on it.... does this mean I'm actually rescuable for commitment?! (btw, rescuable isn't a word. Haha. Or so says my editor.) Well, things are going pretty great. Still jobless. Still working on my G.E.D. Still getting things together. But other than that, things are great! I've talked with my parents a bit. They're still not really, you know, on the ball, but eh. My brother might come visit me, and I'm moving to California soon! …..just gotta wait for ticket confirmation! But YAY! Berkeley to be more exact. I'll be rooming with an old friend of mine. She's pretty legit. The only BAD thing is... no internet! UHG. But... you win some, you lose some. I figger though, it'll give me more nights to write stories. More time.

Sadly less time to roleplay. Nnnnnn.  
Library? Here I come. .

Ah well. I hear they have a pretty legit tram system. And it's close to the beach. WARRRM BEACHES. YAY.

Anyways, haha. This is the new story. Prologue is pretty self explanatory. I think I got the idea from too much Hayou Miyazaki films..... probably.

Anyways, hope you enjoy! Hehe.

LUFFLES!  
Lady Pickles

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own the songs used to inspire this, or the characters. Because if I did, I would not be writing fan-fiction. It would really happen.

**NOTES: **THIS IS NOT AN AKUROKU.... i'm doing a test, to see how many people come to read this, and like it. Just a test people, don't flame me for it. Axel IS the main character. As to who is going to be the captain of the hellrider..... -winks- it's my favorite Organization member. Though, you never know. It might turn out to be an Akuroku, or an Akudem, or a Luxel. This time... I'm just going with the floooooooooow. (I haven't had vitamin water today, so I have nothing to blame, but myself.)

**xXx**

"_Open your eyes cause another day is gone  
Children of the moon, Can you hear the moon calling?  
Skies open up and the angels star falling  
Listen to the beat, can you hear the hollering?  
Stop in the morning, Through to the evening,  
Dance like you're the only one around  
Move like you want, Move like you need, Yeah  
Dance it all up, till the sun goes down."_

**xXx**

**Prologue  
**_hellrider: leviathan of the skies_

We can't ever be human.

They can never be us.

Simple as that really.

We're creatures of the forest, beasts of the land, and masters of the animals that reside with us. To see us, is said to be good luck, amongst the humans. They say our eyes hold the universe, and that we came from the stars. That our breaths hold eternal life, and that our bite will bring them strength and purity. I've even heard some of them say that we're the purest source of energy. The humans used to harness our energies by stealing our blood, and soaking the crystals of the mountains in them. Those crystals would run for centuries, and one was enough to power entire cities. At one time, all our lands were connected at one source. A planet. With a core. The cars disappeared, and the ships grew. They learned how to take crystals and grow crops four, nay, five times bigger than what they used to be. With those crystals, humans lived forever... and were like gods. At least, that's what the elders said. I wasn't around at this time. I was born after the war.

Well, you see.... there was this war. Man against man. Their lust for our blood drove us to leave earth, and fly to the moon. I know it all sounds so silly to you.... but you see, we're not even mortal. We're spirits with bodies. Now, the humans didn't know this, and when we left, they scoured the earth, searching for even one of our kind. The unlucky few who had refused to leave, wanting to keep the earth purified were killed, and their blood turned to help fuse crystals. My dad was one of those who stayed behind. The blood that stained the ground wasn't just ours. Humans killed each other you know. They battled hard for those crystals. Until eventually the screams of the ground below the human's feet was enough to drive mother earth insane. With a mighty roar, she threw her arms wide, and screamed loudly. The earth shook below the humans. She was trying to cleanse an impure land, but it was impossible, with so much blood running deep. Miles of it below the surface. In rage she threw destroyed earth. You see, when it exploded, cities with the crystals were instantly protected.

I'm not sure how it happened either. By my grandfather, he was there. They said he was a small boy when it happened. But he saw that the spirits of those who were killed by the humans, didn't want them to see such a thing as total annihilation of the human race happen. And their spirits protected the cities, making islands floating in the sky. I guess there was hope mother nature would make another earth below, within a few centuries, so they could bring the humans back down. But all that lay below those islands is rolling, billowing black smoke. It's called the central realm of hell. Anyone who is to face judgment is shoved down there. People hear the screams of convicted criminals down there for days after. I think it's the mother telling her children she's furious. And she's waiting, for every last human to fall down there.

Well, at least the islands still float. Or what's left of them. You see, after the humans recuperated from the battle that destroyed their planet, instead of working together and living on one island, using what crystals were left to supply them over thousands of years, they fought over the crystals with each other. Cities in the sky went at war, developing new machinery to fly through the skies and land attacks on each other. Their bombs, lasers, even machines and robots were soon part of the war. Cyborgs rose, with humans wanting to be stronger than their mortal bodies could handle. Skies were destroyed and left as empty cities on floating islands. Crops burned. Children dried. People died.

My people have grown in our numbers again, since the humans have destroyed earth. While we grow stronger, the humans dwindle. The elders of our people said this was a good thing. To purify the earth, and mother nature's rage, the human's must die. It's been almost four thousand years. The humans don't even remember ever living on earth. It's myth to them! If they can't remember why they've been punished, why should the punishment go on? How much longer will mother nature's rage boil?

I decided I couldn't allow this to continue. My people can't be allowed to let the humans die. I tried to make my plea to the council, but they wouldn't listen. It isn't right for a wolf to be concerned with the humans. Isn't right my ass.

So I decided I'd head down to earth myself. To the floating islands. Their cities, which crumble and burn, while others flourish and live. I hope... I hope the humans can be purified. Or else all of this will be meaningless.

September 21, 6053.

Axel Sinclair of the Luna Tribe.

**xXx**

Well, you made it!  
No song list in this one.  
But the first chapter has the song list for both the prologue, and the chapter.  
Hahaha.  
So, shout outs....  
will happen later.  
Pffft.  
I do wanna thank a few people who've recently been reviewing for me.  
It's lit a fire under my ass.

(that's a good thing)

so.... if you like this, and want me to continue....  
CLICKY BIG REVIEW BUTTON THINGY.

Thanks. x3


	2. Under A Glass Moon

I know I posted these at the same time, but I wanted a sort of double-feature, I suppose. Anyways, I hope I start on the next chapter soon, but first Love After Death. I'm really hoping to start doing one chapter a week, in a circle. Next week, by friday, I'm hoping to have the next Love After Death chapter out. And maybe my G.E.D. And an update on LJ, and Youtube! Not a whole lot... but... PLAH. Hahaha.

Well, reviews anyone?

**DISCLAIMER: **again, I don't own the characters, or the music. But I do own the idea. And Luxord's wank. Hahahahha~

until next time!  
Lady Pickles

**xXx**

"_I say my hell is the closet I'm stuck inside  
Can't see the light  
And I say my heaven is a house up in the sky  
Got central heating  
And I'm alright, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah."_

**xXx**

**Chapter One  
**_hellrider: leviathan of the skies_

Axel brushed the hat back off his head, as he stepped inside the dimly lit tavern. There were few patrons, and the bartender didn't look too happy to be there himself. There was no smoke, clear to see. His bright green eyes flicked up and down the tavern, trying to find someone who knew exactly what they were doing. His angular face was so inhumanly perfect, it got a few eyes from people in the tavern. Bright, flaming red hair spiked out behind him, the hat on his head was a dark brown, matching the duster on his body. His tall, lithe form moved through the tables, the duster parting every so often to give glimpses of a worn dark gray blouse, suspenders clipped to dark brown breeches, and the boots were so scuffed a few holes were in them. Down one leg was an odd shape, that caught the looks from the few patrons in the bar. He looked back at them, and frowned, wondering what was all their problems, as he rubbed the back of his neck, heading in the direction to the bar. Axel could smell the strange scents waft around him in a flurry, telling him subtle things about different people. The only other man at the bar used guns. The gunpowder was strong. He was balding, the hair follicles were dying at a rapid rate. And he was sick. That sweet, thick smell gave it off, of the germs clinging, waiting to be passed on. Axel found his nose wrinkled as he subtly looked to the others. One by the door. Long brown hair... hasn't had a bath for weeks. Axel shook his head, and decided he didn't want to even bother with the others.

They all were probably really bad smelling, to be honest.

Side stepping the sick man, he went down a few stools, and sat down, rubbing his hands together under the bar, gloves on them. He watched, as the bartender eventually came down his way, and leaned on the wooden bar between them, looking at him closely. Axel could smell the fetid breath from the man, and wanted to plug his nose from the horror being bestowed upon him. He could feel his ears go back slightly, and then remembered he wasn't suppose to do that, when the other man's eyes flicked to the hat on his head. "Ya'all ain' frum 'round 'ere is yah?" He asked in a thick accent that made Axel try to think over what he was saying before nodding slowly.

"No. I'm new." He said simply, as the man's eyes narrowed. He could feel the internal prosecution upon him, as he wiggled on the seat slightly. "I was hoping to see if there was a ship around here heading for the central city." Axel found himself explaining. When under pressure he worried about what others thought. Honestly, though, he wish he had a little more self control over his tongue, as the man leaned back, and snorted. He seemed to shake his head, and ignore the abnormalities of Axel, turning to clean a drink.

"Wha' in yer ahll nee'in ta goh to dah cap'tol fer?" Bartender inquired, looking to him out the side of his eyes. Axel almost blurted the answer out, before slapping a hand over his mouth and frowning. Shaking his head, he looked to the side, and back to him again.

"Personal reasons." He said simply, before looking down to the bar, and rubbing a gloved finger over the dirty surface, bringing the smudged leather up to his eyes, gazing at it critically. "I need someone fast, who won't back out if there's a bit of trouble between here and there." He explained slowly. "Preferably low key."

"Well'n, tha's all?" Bartender laughed, his belly bobbled a bit, catching Axel's eyes, wondering if it was just the clothes, or if the stomach was so distended, it looked like a pregnant woman's. "I's cahn tell ya no many of 'em pilots ahre richin' like tha'." He continued, as Axel watched the bigger man look at him, other Patrons slowly turning in their direction, and he grinned slowly, and Axel nearly choked at seeing the almost rotted teeth. "Iffin yer lookin' fas', uhnd brave... s'got one man. Though he ain' been likin' to givin' passen'ers rides to dah cap'tol."

Axel blinked, and looked up brightly at that. "Who? I need to know!" He said, leaning over the bar a bit. He'd been stuck on this island for the last four months, working hard, day after day. "I'm certain I have enough fair for a passage to the capitol!"

"No amount of fare you got in your pocket, will get you a safe passage to the capitol." Came a sharp voice, and Axel spun around, turning to see a short blonde, whose eyes were as big, and blue as the sky, with hair that probably hadn't seen a brush in ages. At least not in this lifetime. "Especially not if you're looking to ride the hellrider." He continued, hopping up onto the stool and slapping the bar. "Hey, Ted... the old man wants a pint to go, and some whiskey bread." He said, as Bartender nodded, turning to get to work, seeming to almost shy from the boy. Axel looked down at him, wondering what would inspire such respect from a grown man, for a young boy.

"Hellrider?" Axel asked, looking at him with a tilted head.

"Yeah.S'the fastest ship in these parts of the sky. My boss owns it." He continued.

"Roxas here is an engineer on that blasted ship from the core itself." The sick man nodded, from down the bar, before coughing violently into his scarf, making Axel jump, before looking down to Roxas. The boy looked far too young to be engineering anything, let alone a ship that frightened people.

"Aw you all are chicken weed! It's not from the core." Roxas rolled his eyes, and looked back to the bar, gathering his items as they were laid before him.

"Oh? Then how do you explain where the metal came from? Or that strange captain of yours? He's been around longer than anyone here remembers, and yet he's still barely kicking his mid thirties!" The man from the door hollered, giving his input on this strange vessel that now had Axel's attention. He looked at all the patrons who were now sitting upright, wanting their part in the conversation, to be heard, from their points of views on this strange thing.

"They say he's a demon from the core!"

"I heard he was a human with a crystal all his own!"

"No. I think he's an alien. He's gotta be one of them shifters!"

"You're mad. He's not some dumb shifter!"

While they argued, Axel had been distracted, before noticing the boy wasn't before him, and was ducking out the door. Axel waved to the bartender, before turning to leap out off the stool, and rush through the tavern, and out the door, looking up and down, wondering where that boy went. Sniffing the air, he caught the faint scent. Turning, he followed it. To his eyes, it was like a perfectly marked, invisible trail, that only his nose could find. The rain was a soft drizzle, hitting his hat in a faint buzz, and bouncing off his coat, while he crouched a bit, looking around. The cobblestone lined street was filled with puddles, and the air smelt of rain and wet dirt. Turning, he ran slowly in one direction, following his nose, after the boy. He'd spent so much time in this place, a new scent was like a beacon. Closing his eyes, he imagined the trail, then went for it, pacing down an ally between two buildings nearly squished together. The grass was slippery beneath his feet, and he clutched to the wooden side, before turning to continue, running across another street, and scrambling over a fence in the next ally.

The trail moved down the street, and when he looked, he say the boy running at full speed. Snapping his jaws together, he launched himself down the street, splashing puddles as he went, the water flying up around him, as the few people who were out, looked at the redhead oddly. Axel felt his hat start to go up, and reached a hand up to smack it back down. It was a bit harder, running with one hand holding his hat, but he forced himself to continue on, this strange emotion bubbling in his stomach, rising through his chest, and out into his limbs, telling him the hunt was on. Axel's eyes flicked to the moon. It was still only half pregnant with light. He knew it was just a feeling, but the instincts were strong, and he darted faster, scurrying around a post office, and over the wagon, where a man was unloading a big package of mail. The man watched Axel sail over his wagon, hit the ground, and continue running.

"Well. Ain't seen that a'fore." He muttered, blinking widely at the inhuman acrobatics.

The chase continued on, through the town, down the hill to the docks. Axel could see. He could see where they were heading, going through the simple homes now. The docks extended from the island, for ships to land on, and he could see the boy running to a black one, that was long... almost snake like. The wings of the ship extended out, and the helm was broad, with a bulbous red glass. The black metal, that's what intrigued him. All the metal from the islands was a deep hue of orange. And it took a lot of money to dye it another color. That ship wasn't died. And by the looks of it... it was almost breathing. He swallowed, and kept running, a few passengers getting off another ship, were looking over at the strange sight as well. Axel found himself sliding down a grassy hill, flipping over a bench, and scrambling across the wooden deck. "Wait! WAAIT!" He yelled loudly.

The boy kept running, only stopping to look back and see Axel, before jumping, and turning to bolt up to the ramp between him and the ship, getting in through the open hull, and closing it, as Axel ran closer. He swallowed and kept yelling at the boy to wait, getting down the deck to the ramp, and leaping up it, hitting at the door. Or... where the door used to be, now was an armored shield. He beat at it violently, before gasping, the skin splitting across his hand. This metal was sharp. It actually hit him back! Glaring, Axel looked around. He had to get on this ship. His instincts told him to. Licking at the blood that ran down his hand, he gripped the side of the ship, and pulled himself up, feet slipping on the side, as he used the creases in the armor to haul himself higher. Just as he got above the door, he could hear the heart of this ship begin to whirr, as the thing shuddered, coming to life. Axel could feel the warmth of it beneath his palm.

Frowning, he knew he only had so long, dragging himself up higher, kicking his boots off in the process. His feet gripped the sides of the ship, and propelled him up faster, jumping onto a wing, and running along it. He just had to get to the red glass. The rain making the ship slippery, and harder to grip. Axel heard the ship undock, and his eyes widened, before letting go of his hat to hold tighter onto the sides, hauling himself up higher. The higher he went, the more the wind began to whip, and the harder it did too, as he scrambled, trying to keep a good hold. One slip, and he'd fall right into the sky, and down into the core.

It was a long fall.

Axel used his arms to pull him up higher, the armor of the ship cutting into his palms as he did so, making him whimper, as he was almost to the red glass. Another gasp, and he pulled himself up higher, the muscles in his arms aching. He clenched his eyes shut, but there was a pop, and an airlock release, forcing Axel to turn his head to see a blonde man sticking his head out, Azure eyes sharp and unnerving, as he reached out and grabbed Axel, dragging him through the air lock, and shutting it, before locking and sealing.

Axel found himself laying on the metal flooring, looking up at the tall man, who crouched over him, and shook his head. "Fucking moon wolf." He scowled, running his hand over Axel's red ears, which twitched, and made Axel's eyes widen.

"You know what I am?" He asked, astonishment in his eyes.

"Yeah. I just want to know who you are, and why you're on my damn ship." The man responded with annoyance, and Axel found himself being picked up off the ground, and turned to be carried somewhere, the clanking of his shoes resounded in the empty halls.

"I...I... I needed p-passage to the capitol. I have fare!" Axel panted softly, gripping his sleeve, looking around, before back to him. The man was wearing a black suit, that probably was covered in grease somewhere, unzipped, and hanging from his waist, the white tank was dirty, the necklace hanging from his neck was a gold locket. The man snorted.

"Not a matter of if you have fare or not. The capitol isn't safe for a damn wolf. They're looking high and low for your kind. Need more blood crystals." He muttered before stepping down a few steps and tossing the redhead onto the table, before turning to yank out the counter, and start the water, looking for a cup.

"But I need to go! The wolves.... they're....."

"Planning the end of the human race. I know." The blonde replied, as he turned to shove the glass into his hand. "Drink that."

"No... wait... how did you know?!" Axel asked gripping the cup, staring up at him, as he swallowed, his eyes wider. The man couldn't have known, could he have? Really... it seemed so strange.

"Can't you even sniff out your own kind?!" Roxas snapped, his hair twitching, as Luxord pushed the hair down, revealing blonde ears, that were flattened, but now had sprung up, and he shook his head, before pulling the tail from the pant leg. Axel leaned down to touch his own, and swallowed.

"I...didn't know." He said softly, looking at Roxas, then to the other man. "I have to go to the capitol." He looked at the blonde man pleadingly. He could see the annoyance in those azure eyes, and the groan, as he leaned against the counter, before shaking his head.

"Fine." He said slowly, before looking at Axel. "But two conditions."

Axel was about to internally cheer, but he stopped, looking at the man. "what....."

"You provide blood for the ship, and if you die, your soul belongs to me." He said simply, eyes narrowed.

Axel stopped, and looked at him slowly, his fingers curling around the cup tighter, and he swallowed, looking to Roxas, and back to him. ".....k-kay." He said slowly, nodding.

The man's grin only widened, as he walked over and held a hand out, and when Axel took it, he shook the wolf's hand firmly, smirking. "The names Luxord... and welcome aboard the hellrider." He said simply. Axel was pretty sure he'd just signed his name away with the devil himself.

**xXx**

YOU SURVIVED.  
REVIEW.  
PLEASE.  
IT WILL MAKE PICKLES HAPPY.  
:DDDDD

**P L A Y L I S T :**  
**Damien Rice  
**Rootless Tree

**Dave Matthews Band**  
Halloween  
So Much to Say  
Crash Into Me  
Angel  
American Baby  
Space Between

**David Jordan  
**Sun Goes Down

**Devil May Cry 3 Soundtrack  
**Ending Credits Theme

**Dream Theater  
**Hell's Kitchen  
Under A Glass Moon  
The Root Of Evil  
Panic Attack  
Never Enough  
Sacrificed Sons

**John Williams  
**Brush On Silk  
The Chairman's Waltz  
Destiny's Path

**Sabaton  
**The Hammer Has Fallen  
Masters Of The World  
Hellrider  
Primo Victoria


	3. Draw Me

Whew! Lots of shit has happened recently! I, for one, am happy it's all pretty much over! Got my G.E.D. and I'm going to college next semester! My major will be English, and my minor in History. Teaching FTW~ Well, I was reading through everything, and realized I really, really, REALLY need to get back into writing. So now that I'm settled, got my radio, and the sun, I'm good to go.

No distractions! None! What-so-ever~!

Lawl, we'll see how this goes. But I plan on writing every morning, when I wake, so hopefully this will go great. Wish me luck, yo. :B

**xXx**

_"Past mistakes now beckon closure.  
What was lost will soon be found.  
Nailed by sin the blood has broken chains that held us deeply bound."_

**Draw Me  
**_hellrider: leviathan of the skies_

Axel stretched, as he blinked slowly, looking up at the same bunk above him, for what seemed the millionth time in a row. Not that anyone slept in the cot above him. In a ship meant to hold five hundred, with only three passengers, you'd think he could get one of the better rooms. You'd think. But, no. He was given the room closest to the brig. And the furthest from the communal bathrooms. That no one used.

Grunting in annoyance, Axel scratched behind an ear, and blinked slowly, feeling the hair bunch under his fingers, pulling his hand away, to find he was slightly shedding. Brilliant. Must be spring on the moon. Or close to it. Which meant Winter down here would soon be fast approaching. He so, did not need to be thinned out in his coat, when he needed it the most. Reaching to slap the hat back on his head, he stopped, an blinked, before leaving it on the dresser by his cot, and standing, moving in the small room down to the small hub window, and pushed it open, to look outside. He couldn't see anything as far as he knew, out his window. Didn't mean there wasn't something on the _other_ side.

Suddenly eager to see where they were at, he turned to run quickly out of the room, fixing his loose breeches, and pulling the suspenders higher up onto his shoulders, tail whipping around behind him, aiding him as he ran smoothly through the halls, his bare feet padding down the metal floors, making a soft echo. Pitter, patter. Pitter, patter.

Luxord heard the feet long before Axel joined him on the brig. Ignoring the doe eyed wolf standing not twenty feet behind him, he continued to look at the large nearly translucent screen before him, watching the position, and all the stat's of the ship.

Axel saw the captain up there, and ignored him, to run around the side, looking out the large red glass, to see floating islands. He didn't recognize any of them, and a lot of them were crumbling. "Where are we?"

"Forgotten Isles." Luxord responded, looking to see him so... excited. Judging by his reactions alone, Luxord deduced Axel had never been properly flying through all the outer rings of the islands. Especially if he tried picking up a ride to the Capitol back on Andre'. "Islands where the crystals died out a long time ago, and the people either moved, or islands where war provided the crystal being stolen by an enemy, and the people died." He said simply, still watching the wolf with a curious gaze.

Azel turned to look back to him, as his ears went back. "How many islands actually lost the crystal to natural death."

"One."

"Out of how many?"

"Thousands." Luxord informed him, before turning back, and swerving around. "We're going to be stopping on a few, before we make it out, maybe fine some left over fuel, or supplies that haven't been picked over by scavengers yet."

Axel nodded, shuddering at the thought of carcasses, and winced. "So... I'll be staying on the ship, right? You know, valuable blood source and all."

"Roxas is just as valuable a fuel source. You're going to pull your weight."

Axel blinked. What? So he wasn't the only one fueling the ship? Well... duh. Something had to have been fueling it long before he came along. But a kid? "You're using one of our pups for your sick jollies aren't you? Pricking him, when he's just a kid! What kind of sick pervert are you! Sadist!"

"He agrees to it." Luxord replied simply, getting up from the chair he'd been in, typing a few commands onto the laser keyboard, and turning to start heading off the brig, opening the computer on his wrist, and keeping a diagnostic of the ship up.

"Well, yeah, cause he doesn't know any better!" Axel argued, turning to instantly following him. Oh, no. This guy was not walking off in the middle of an argument was he? Well?

"I would say you're not much older than him. But that's a guess." The captain turned the corner, and trotted down the ladder to a more narrow hall. As if going down to the belly. Axel chided him, and argued the entire way, making Luxord put into motion his seemingly never-ending supply of self-control, while he tore open a panel.

Inside, he scoped out the wires, and started testing a few to see which one was the dead one. _Live. Live. Live. L...Live. Slow, but Live. Might need to be changed in a week. Dead. Live. Live. Live. Dead. Live. Live. Live. Live. Lines five and eight are dead. Need a o.5 and a 7 wire strings._ He made mental notes, turning to look through the small box he'd carried with him, going through all the small boxes.

"So, you can see where I'm coming from-"

"Roxas. Lines shutting down for a few seconds." Luxord interrupted the wolf, to hear Roxas' warbly response from the engine room.

"S- ounds fine by m-. Reception bad d-n here."

Luxord nodded. "That's fine. Prep up in five minutes, and be by the door. I've already mapped out the island."

"C- do boss-."

Luxord turned back to shut the power down, as the lights when out and Axel screamed like a girl, at the sudden darkness.

"What's going on!"

"Just changing the wires out."

"How can you do that without seeing?" Axel said loudly, before stopping when the man turned his eyes to look to him.

They weren't human eyes. But machine eyes. Glowing in the darkness, the azure looked eerie, and narrowed in, the iris seemed to be broken, as if narrowing the pupil, to see things at closer detail.

"O-oh." Axel turned away, his face red, and he swallowed. "Makes... sense."

"Mmm." Luxord turned back to his work, measuring out the wires and cutting them, then tying them into the power box. Turning the power on, Axel felt his breath rush out, having been holding it for those long three minutes, as Luxord shut the power box, and got up, rubbing his face tiredly. "Alright. Follow me. We need to suit you up."

Axel nodded, and meekly followed after him, if for nothing more than to just not get hurt. He didn't know how much of the man was cybernetic, and to be honest, cyborgs were some of the worst there was, and to be the most cautious around. But it didn't explain his longevity, but Axel had a small idea it had something to do with the necklace around his neck.

Stepping up close when he lost track, and Luxord whistled sharply for him, he looked around. This was a new part. A war meeting room, they passed. A teaching room. Stores? It was like walking in a small town, or something. Axel wasn't sure how to feel about it, while they turned and were going past a weapons room now, his ears falling flat when he noticed Luxord leading them right into it.

"...Luxord?"

"Captain."

"...Captain. What exactly was this ship used for? What's it made OUT of? Why does it seem to have so many bad rumors?" Axel asked, looking to him. "How did you get a hold of a moon wolf pup in the first place?"

Luxord looked up to him, and blinked, before rolling the top of his black jump suit, sliding his arm through the sleeves and zipping it up, and then looked around before pulling out a high powered laser rifle, and testing it's weight. "Good questions. Stick around long enough, you might figure them out." He replied.

Axel growled in annoyance at the questions being evaded and was about to pursue, when Roxas jumped in from a panel above them, making Axel jump himself, in suprise.

"'Ey, Cap't." Roxas greeted, looking to the weapon in his hand. "Ooo, for me?"

"Yes." Luxord replied, grabbing a case, as Roxas pulled out three backpacks and two duffel bags, tossing the ammunition into the bags, and pulling it onto his back. Luxord, in turn, pulled out a heavy, double barrel laser shotgun, testing the weight, before grabbing ammo for himself and tossing it on his own back, as Roxas tossed Axel a small pistol.

Axel jumped looking at the weapon in his hand. "Wha...what's this for?"

Luxord and Roxas shared a long, long look, before rolling their eyes, and Roxas chose to answer. "Self defense."

"Yeah, but we're going on deserted islands."

Luxord sighed, and handed him the backpack with his own ammo, and then an empty duffel bag. "Doesn't mean there won't be creatures out there. The humans died. The animals mutated."

"Well, gee. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Oh, it's great!" Roxas grinned, as he waved his hand. "Come on, suits are this way." He announced, while Luxord moved ahead, and Axel followed.

Across the hall from the ammunition store was a space suit store. There, he saw several...hundred... suits. Though plenty were ruined, and tossed in a pile under 'To Be Repaired.' Obviously life was so busy around here, none of them could be repaired.

Luxord grabbed a large black one, and worked the bags off, to slide into the suit, working the buttons and airlock zipper up-front. "There's no shield to keep the air locked to the island, and no gravity boosters working. Do you'll need to be carefully." Luxord warned Axel, before he pulled the dark helmet on, hiding his face.

Axel took his own, sliding into it, as he wondered what such a dark helmet was needed for. Awkwardly working the backpack on, over the air tank, and the duffel bag over his head, he sighed. It took Roxas helping him after getting his own gear on, to be ready, in time to be thrown off his feet and into a wall, Luxord and Roxas steady on their feet.

"Docking" Roxas said over the intercom Luxord had set up between the three suits not seconds ago. Axel blinked, and shook his head, feeling rattled, before trying to wiggle around and roll like a turtle, getting up, and awkwardly jogging after the other two, who had already left for the docking bay.

An elevator actually took them to the docking doors, and they stepped through an air-locked door, before the air was sucked out. Axel felt weird, having turned his air pack on, now relying on that, while Luxord turned to hit the button releasing the door between them and the island surface.

As they bounced weightlessly down the ramp, Axel understood now, why they had the darkened helmets. With no shield from the crystal, nothing to mute the intense rays from the sun. Even with the helmet his eyes watered, and he wanted to cry, swallowing as they landed on the surface. His suit was burning up and he didn't know what to do. Panicking, he turned about to run back onto the ship, when an hand grabbed his arm, as Luxord looked him in the eyes, and he looked back, unable to actually see Luxord, but able to imagine it.

"Turn the AC on." Luxord stated simply.

When Axel didn't do anything for a long while, Luxord rolled his eyes groaning and moved him around a bit, before bringing his hand to an idle switch. "Up is Central Heating, Down is your Air Conditioner."

Axel nodded, flipping the switch down, hand shaking as he pulled it away, instantly feeling the effect of a cooling suit. Luxord nodded, before flipping his on, which made the Wolf blink.

Wasn't the cyborg burning now?

Without voicing his latest concern, he watched as Roxas and Luxord made their way over to the broken city that lay before him. Tall building structures completely collapsed. As he bounced over, he looked around. A tavern, with the roof caved in. A hotel with the sign still on, but the what looked like a meteor smashing into the side. Nothing of the shops looked like anything but shabby, empty shells of what they once were.

Luxord had them all stop in the middle of what appeared to be a main street, and looked to them. "Roxas, check the homes on the east side of town, Axel all the shops on this main street, and I'll take the homes on west side. We'll meet back up, and take on the farms north of here." He informed them, as Roxas nodded, while Axel raised a hand.

"So, I'll be relatively safe, you know, in the middle?"

Luxord and Roxas looked to one another, before shrugging.

"Either or." They both said, before turning to head off into their respective destinations.

"Great... thanks guys." Axel said, looking around the buildings, before hugging himself tightly, and swallowing.

"You're welcome." Roxas replied over the intercom.

"No problem." Came Luxord's reply.

"Smart asses." The redhead grunted, before turning to head off to the tavern first.  
**xXx  
**  
It was almost like being in one of those westerns he'd seen from "human/earth" relics. Shoving the tavern doors in, he stomped in, as best he could, looking around the broken in building, with his hands on his hips. _'Alright, you suckers, put 'em up!'_ He announced in his head, not trusting one of the other two, to not make some form of commentary.

Kicking a broken table out of his way, he walked through it, looking around, the faint light cast from his head lamp, showed the faint space dust wafting through the air, and the empty building, broken. He pulled the pistol out, and waved it around, smirking, as he did so, stepping around slowly.

_'Alright you cock sucking, yellow bellies. Where's McGruber? WHERE!' _He bellowed to the imaginary tavern patrons in his head, watching them turning to look to him, as they all seemed surprised by bounty-hunter Axel McClain, there, and larger than life. They didn't know where McGruber was. He didn't believe them.

Axel gave them ten seconds, or the first guy at the bar would go.

Five seconds to go.

Three.

Two.

_'No? Fine!'_ Axel shot, as the laser burst through the air, and hit the bar, knocking over a bottle of alcohol... that was full.

"Oops." He winced, realizing he could have salvaged that.

"Oops? What is oops?" Luxord asked sharply.

Axel winced double time and looked around, expecting the creepy cyborg to be right behind him. Breathing a sigh of relief, he shook his head. Thank-god he wasn't. Just the intercom. God, he was paranoid. "Nothing, just broke something."

"Hmm."

The 'not-so-convinced-but-whatever' noise he'd just made, wasn't very comforting to Axel, and he wondered if the captain was heading back this way, making him shake a bit, turning to look around, slowly stepping towards the stairs, getting away from the floating, now frozen bits of alcohol.

Turning and trotting up the stairs, his leg fell through a hole, and he grunted, before making his way to the top, and taking his job a bit more seriously, checking every room, and under every bed. Through every drawer. It was taxing.

By the third building, a barber shop, he was damned near tired. And his mind wandered again.

Stepping into the grocery store, he slowly stepped through the broken door, looking around. _'CSI agent Axel Sinclair, young, but bright, has just been given an assignment. A recent murder slash robbery was just committed at local grocery. Towns people in horror at the absolute carnage. Blood, everywhere. Guts. Broken skulls. It's a blood bath, and only Axel had the stomach for it.'_ He said in his head, as he slowly walked down the isles, finding a few full cans, and 'treating them like evidence' putting them in his elite CSI duffel bag.

Sliding down the rows, and looking at the fridges, to find frozen dinner meals. Still useable, right? Freeze-dried meals, and other foods as well!

And also a gag-gift of freeze dried water, just add water.

He had to laugh at it, and take the bag. Maybe hang it on his wall, or something.

Returning back to his fantasy, 'CSI agent Sinclair' had just heard a noise, and he pulled the pistol up, slowly stepping around the grocer counter, looking to the broken door to the back.

_'Agent Axel knows his duty. To wait for his partner. Never go in alone. But he couldn't risk someone being alive and bleeding to death back there! Taking slow steps, Sinclair looked through the opening of the door, turning the right, finding nothing, and then the left, seeing an empty hall. The blood stains across the walls and floor caused him curiosity, as he stepped over the skull on the ground...'_

Skull?

Axel blinked, and then tried hard not to scream like a girl when he saw the skeleton on the hall ground, picked clean.

"Ew. Ew. Ew."

"What NOW." Luxord groaned.

"Dead body!"

"Full?"

"Just bones!"

"Ignore it. There's plenty of them around here."

"Wow. Alright, Dexter, I promise not to die around you."

All Axel got in reply was a snort, and Roxas butting in to laugh, as his response to the whole conversation, while Axel heard something moving, and he looked up.

Down the hall was a bend, and several doors. Trying the first one, he found it locked, though when he flashed the light inside, the frozen body disgusted him so bad, he propelled back from it, before looking down, and continued to make his way.

_'A-agent Axel, bravely continued his exploration, despite slow moving actions of his partners. They were rookies, in his mind. He had no time to baby-sit. The first door was locked, but the next one was empty. He reached the third door, and touched the handle. Unlocked._

Pushing the door open, in hopes to find his perpetrator, he looked up, and...'

Screamed.

**xXx**

HAHAHAHAH!  
Cliff hanger!  
:B  
Hope you enjoy and hold on for the next round~

No music list for this one, except the radio. LOL.

I'd like to thank anyone who hung on, and is reading this.  
And anyone who reviews. I'll give a shout-out in the next chapter.

I am not accepting one-shots at the moment, as I have like...  
Three to finish.  
And I haven't yet.  
Cause I'm a lazy-fuck.

And a busy fuck.  
BLAH.

Anyways, Enjoy. xD


	4. Hold Me

BAHAHAHA! You didn't think I'd leave you hanging did you? Well... maybe I might have... MAAAYYYYBEEEEEEE...

but anyways, here's the next chapter. It seems I upload these in bundles. Wonder why...

Ah well. XD Enjoy.

Lady Pickles.

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own characters, or any music used for inspiration. I do, however, own the plot idea.

**NOTES: **Again, I will give shout-outs in the next round, so please, please, PLEASE, review. :D I'll be good! Honest~

(you can't trust me. Honest.)

(This sentence is a lie.)

**xXx**

_'Soot upon my hands I feel their hate.  
Fire all around but I feel no pain.  
Entrapped within it's flames, I see him there.  
He reaches out his hand and draws me near.'_

**Hold Me  
**_hellrider: leviathan of the skies_

Luxord winced, his ear burning as he heard a loud scream, and blinked, pressing a hand to the side of his helmet. After the splitting in his head ceased, he blinked, trying to clear his vision, before looking around him. He'd been scouting out the houses, and had only found a few useable things, when something had caused his eyes to go cross-eyed.

"Oh god! Ohgodohgodohgod! HELP ME!" Axel screamed in his ear again, and he knew that if he was nearly keeling over in pain from the screams, Roxas had to be practically dying.

"Axel! AXEL! What is going on!" Lucord yelled, already trying to run through the hall of the home, to get out.

"Thing, b-big! It's chasing me, I think! Oh, god!" Axel sobbed.

He shook his head, trying to clear his head, before putting his shotgun off safety, as he heard Roxas chime in.

"What is it?"

"I didn't get a close enough look at it! It was just big! And all, claw like! With TEETH!"

"Axel, calm down." Roxas tried to soothe.

"No! YOU calm down!"

"I am-"

"Axel!" Luxord butt in. "Calm the FUCK down, and listen carefully." He snapped, hearing Axel whimper. "Where are you?"

"Running up the stairs in the... the... hair...hair cutter... thing."

"Alright. Destroy the stairs."

"HOW!"

Luxord rolled his eyes, and he could almost feel Roxas doing the same, when the smaller boy advised, "With your gun? Not hard. Hit the legs, and it'll topple."

"Oh...okay." Axel whimpered. The other two blondes waited for a moment, as Luxord pushed himself over a fence, and started bounding with long leaps, only one under no gravity could pull off. The homes around him were full of entire families who had died, when the war happened. And not all of them were skeletons. It was mostly why he didn't want the redhead out there. He didn't want the wolf freaking out. Like Axel was now.

Great.

Just as Luxord had this revelation, a loud screeching was heard through his intercom, and he shook his head, wincing.

"I...I got them destroyed. That...that big thing ain't happy." Axel whined.

"I would expect it wasn't." Luxord hissed, as he slid around a building, turning to see the opening to the docks, where his ship was, and main street.

And the loud screeching wasn't over the intercom anymore. He could hear it himself. Looking up and around the corner, he winced. The screeching was attracting more.

More Minotaurs.

They were once bulls, but infected by war and the sudden loss of the crystal to their lands, their blood froze, their bodies turned them into predators, rather than prey. Their front hooves split, and grew claws, and they had spikes fro their spines, down their spines. Their horns twisted, and turned. Teeth grew. Skin was hardened, till it was like rocks. Lasers wouldn't do shit against them. Luxord cursed.

"Roxas, we have Minotaurs." Luxord hissed.

"Daaaaaamn, new boy." Roxas whistled over the intercom. "You're really lucky, or really unlucky. How many, Luxord?"

"Ten, maybe eleven. Outside at least. I don't know how many inside-"

"Five!" Axel cried.

Luxord arched a brow. "Are you wasting your ammo?"

"...N-...yes." Axel whined.

"Don't. It won't do shit, but piss them off. We're going to have to sneak you out." Luxord sighed, looking out to the road.

There was a momentary pause, before he saw Roxas across from him, pressed against the building, nodding to him. "I see them. What's your plan, Cap't?" The kid asked, while Luxord thought, before closing his eyes, and leaning his head back. Grinding his teeth together, he tried to put together something sloppy in his mind. He didn't like it.

It wasn't perfect. It was reckless.

He fucking hated it.

"Alright, this is what I got so far..." Luxord started.

**xXx**

Axel looked around, as he held the pistol to his chest tightly. Hey, if they thought this would work, he'd go with it. Whimpering at the sight of the nasty creatures below him, that he'd so far, only managed to piss off, he leaned back against the wall, and keep close to it. Waiting for the signal was hard. Especially with, now eight of those, what were they called? Mino... Minnows, swarming under him.

Certainly didn't LOOK like Minnows.

Eyes looking up to the sky above him, through the broken roof, he vaguely wondered if this would be the last time he'd see the sky. _'Safe passage my ass. I was better off waiting for some tourist freight, or whatever. Or hopping island. Damn me and my impatience. If I get out of here, I'm shitting my pants, then I'm getting on the next boat we come by. Touristy or not.' _He thought to himself while settling down, and waiting for the others to come to his aid like a damsel in distress.

He really didn't have to wait for long.

A powerful blast went right through the front of the building, and nearly took his head off, as he stared wide-eyed at the giant man holding a double- barrel shotgun, held level with his shoulders. Which were very broad. The Minnows seemed to be startled by the blast, and then jumped when another was hit, as they turned to see who the offender was. Axel saw Luxord stand his ground with them, continuing to keep the shotgun trained on them, as they all turned around, and bayed loudly, snorting, and bellowing, screeching, trying to intimidated the seemingly un-intimidate-able man.

The seeming leader of the minnows, the biggest one, and sort of purplish looking one, stomped one of it's back feet, and snorted, tossing it's head. They were... like bull minnows. MINOBULLS!

Axel was elated by his revelation at remembering their names, that he almost forgot about the situation.

This was till he heard another shot, and turned to see Luxord slowly backing up, with them following, having challenged to leader, and was firing directly at the leaders face. The Minobull hardly looked excited about this and bellowed, tossing it's head, and flashing it's bright, large, sharp horns. Axel gulped.

Leaning further over the edge, eyes wide on the action, he fell over when a small hand touched his arm, as he floated over the side and down to the bottom, staring back up to whoever had touched him.

"Axel. No time for games. Come on." Roxas told him with rolled eyes, before hopping down after him, and Axel wiggled and rolled to his feet, looking to the shrimp.

"I'm not playing any games. Who's playing games?"

"Come on. We gotta go back to the ship."

"I know!" Axel rolled his eyes.

"Then why aren't either of you doing it?" Luxord butt in.

"Stay out of this, Clint Eastwood. You got a minobull to deal with."

There was a confused 'eh?' from both of them, before Roxas just grabbed his hand, and turned to start bouncing along, out through the back. Hearing a crash, Axel turned to see one minobull in the ally, and he cried out in alarm, while Roxas jumped, before cursing, as the minobull took notice of them, and he started leaping along faster.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Roxas yelled, as he held his rifle and fired at the Minotaur's legs, making the creature fall down, while Axel continued squealing like a girl and running as fast as his legs could carry him.

Down the hill they ran, cutting through an ally and onto the main road. It was a straight-shot down to the ship.

"Luxord! We're almost there!" Roxas yelled.

"Right on your tail." Came the clear response.

Axel turned to see Luxord bounding after them, with an entire herd of minobulls after him, and he gave another girlish squeal, for the millionth time in a row, and kept running like hell.

The ship wasn't that far away, but Axel could swear he could feel them hot on his heels. His fears were confirmed when Luxord put a hand on both Roxas and Axel's air tanks, and gave them a hard shove, propelling them in the direction of the ship, while he bounded after them. Finding himself face first into the door, or, helmet first, was not what he called graceful, as Roxas caught himself with his hands and moved around the slightly floating heap, to slap the button and open the door. Dragging Axel in, Roxas turned to see Luxord bounding, and giving one last propelling leap, before hitting the wall next to them, before he hit the button, closing the door.

Axel jumped, while gravity was suddenly resorted along with air, while he pulled his helmet off, gasping for breath, hair slick to his head, as he heard dim, faint banging against the door. "...How... how much can..."

"they ain't ever getting in." Roxas told him, his helmet already off, hair damp as well, blinking clear blue eyes, while Luxord pulled his off, and raked a hand through his own hair, making the short strands stand on end.

"Come on. We'll lay out what we got, an see what's being sold." Luxord told them, while he opened the airlock hatch, and stepped through, while Roxas grinned to Axel, and held a hand out, helping him up.

"He's always just, go, go, go, isn't he?"

"Mmmhmm." Roxas nodded, before moving in.

**xXx**

Roxas was busy working on the engine, several hours later. His breeches were grease stained, dark blouse once white, but no longer, sleeves shoved up past his elbows. He didn't bother wearing shoes, bare toes wiggling in the open air, as he was stuffed under the rolling engine, prying on a Phillips, to pull a screw out, trying to get the panel off. His eyes lit up, when he finally pulled the panel off, and looked through all the wires, smirking.

"Ahh... there's my nasty little booger." He purred, unplugging a faulty wire, and sliding out, sitting up, to see what had gone wrong with it. Jumping when he was greeted with long legs right before his tool box. His eyes followed up to wide hips, a tiny waist, long neck, red hair, and green eyes. "Oh, hey Axel." He grinned, looking up to the other wolf, who looked like he'd just gotten back from showering.

"Hey." He said meekly, the redhead rubbing the side of his neck. Roxas tilted his head, before frowning.

"Something the matter?"

"No, well, yes, and...uh..." Axel sighed, rubbing his arms. "I'm just confused."

"Who isn't?" Roxas laughed.

"Yeah. Not funny." Axel frowned, looking to him, before away again.

"Alright, alright. So... what's the matter?" Roxas asked, sighing, rubbing one of his own ears.

"Everything."

"...Can you vague that down a little?"

The older wolf sighed, rolling his eyes, before looking away. "Just that... this. This ship. You. Luxord."

"The cap't?"

"Yes. Him."

"What about him?"

"He's a cyborg."

Roxas blinked, then shrugged. "A lot of people are, now-a-days."

"Yes, but, they're... not... he just doesn't LOOK it."

"He had some special work done."

Axel groaned, and sat down next to the young mechanic. "Yes, but-"

"-But...?"

"I don't trust him."

"Not many do."

"Do you?"

"Not with my life." Roxas replied without thinking, turning to finally grab his tool box, and lean back, sliding under the engine to work on the panel again. He could hear the groan of frustration from the other wolf, and frowned, rolling back out from under the engine, looking up to him. "Why is it so important, this stuff?"

"Well, don't you think you should know who you're putting your life into the hands of!"

Roxas shrugged. "Maybe." He said, before blinking, and rolling up into a sitting position. "But, you know, you sort of hopped on without giving us a choice. Coulda dumped you off the ship and into the core. But we didn't."

"...True..." Axel looked away, scratching his neck.

"And we could have left you to the minotaurs."

"Is THAT what they're called?"

"Yes."

"Huh."

Roxas sighed before shaking his head. "The thing is, there's many times we could have harmed you. And we didn't. We're good at keeping our word. Luxord is."

"But you said you don't trust him."

"No. I don't trust _him._ But I trust his word."

Axel thought about it, nodding slowly, before looking away, sighing, and rubbing a hand over his head. "So... what is he?"

"A cyborg."

"Has, has he really lived for a long time?"

"Have to ask him."

"GOD! You people are so secretive!" The redhead howled, practically tearing at his hair, while Roxas laughed, and laid back down, rolling under the engine. It was quiet for a bit, after Axel's grumbling, before the blondie heard, "So... what's your story?"

Roxas thought about it, before rolling back from under the ship.

"Well..." He thought about it. "It started like this..."

**xXx**

HAH!  
NUTHER CLIFF HANGER!  
STAY TUNED! :D  
(might write the next part later tonight.  
You never knoooooow~)

Haha.  
Review.  
I'll give thankee's later. :D  
Still no Music playlit, just the radio.  
But I do really like Wolfmother. :D

PROPS!


	5. The Earth Below Pt One: Escape

So! Another chapter! Might upload two, today. Unsure. XD I'm trying to include music tracks with each chapter, but since I've been listening to the radio as background noise, rather than influence, it's been hard to keep track. But it's the radio from 70's, 80's, 90's, and today rock. So guess that the Beatles, Aerosmith, Twisted Sister, Motley Crew, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Eowyn, Billy Idol, Leeland, Pink Floyd, and ect. have had influence over the last several chapters. I probably won't get back into making a playlist, but I'll try. :B

Uhm, I'll be heading down to the college soon, to do some final tests, and register for classes, probably in a day or two, so I don't think I'll be updating that day. (or a few after it, depending on how wiped out I am from the testing.) But so far so good. :D

It's actually really hot, and muggy today, with gray clouds in the sky, so I'm all "Blaaaaaah" and all. I don't know how well these will turn out, but I'm getting them out before I forget. GAH!

Anyways, Enjoy people. :D

Lady Pickles

**DISCLAIMER: **blah, blah, blah, don't know, you know the drill.

**SHOUT OUTS: **Go to Ramen, Ryu, Brink, Durt, Taco, and Shota for reading the last two (or four in some cases) and getting back to me on them. :D Thanks.

**NOTES: **YES, Axel is a screamer in the last two chapters. But you gotta think about it. He's a new Wolf from the moon, born and raised amongst his kind, with no idea of the creatures, or the world he's entered himself into. Practically a baby. Live the cushy life. He'll get his bad-assness back. Don't worry. :D

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW.

**xXx**

"_The walls are caving in now.  
The worst has yet to come.  
I will not go silently, I will overcome.  
The time has come to rethink what I need.  
The time has come for freedom. Let it ring!  
Now will be the day, When I will be saved."_

**The Earth Below Pt. One: Escape  
**_hellrider: leviathan of the skies_

Roxas was curled up, his face pressed into the worn pillow, fists twisted up inside the worn, scratchy cloth. His nose itched, and he had to go to the bathroom badly, but he didn't want to get up, and risk that momentary serenity, so he held his painfully full bladder, and didn't move an inch to even scratch his nose.

He could hear the birds chirping in the background, and knew it had to be early morning, just after dawn. Maybe the sun was peaking. He could imagine the gray, clear sky, and the fresh air. He could imagine the smell of dew on grass, and the faint scent the wind carried with it, rustling the leaves in the background. There was many things about morning he could imagine.

Not that that's what was really out there.

"ROXAS!" The boy heard the shrill tone, and his ears flattened, while he tried to curl up tighter. "Roxas! Time to get up! Now!" It was when he felt the thick, ratty quilt ripped off him, that he growled and rolled onto his back, glaring up to his brother. "Come on, lazy human. Let's go."

"I'm not a human!" Roxas yelled, sitting right up, and scrambling up after his older brother.

"Oh, really?" The man asked, turning around to grin at him. "Coulda fooled me!"

"Cloud!" Roxas yelled, and shook his fist, before wincing, realizing he really, really, _reall_y needed to use the facilities. Shoving past his elder brother, he ran outside their small hut, and down the path, his feet carrying him quickly into the forest.

Well, what forest was left.

After stretching, walking back out from the tall, barren, burnt trees, he sighed, his feet walking over the cracked earth, and he took one long look around, tugging his blouse down.

The earth, Five thousand years after the "destruction" of it.

Surrounded in billowing smoke, protecting the dead surface from everything else that was out there, he looked around, seeing a few ships fly overhead. Black ships, made with metal from the earths core, blackened with molten lava steam. Hardened, with several layers. They were the guards ships. There were other ships flying by too. Ships that were entire cities, so people could survive living down here, rather than leaving, to find somewhere else.

Roxas' ears twitched, when thunder lanced through the thick smoke above, and he looked up.

"Roxas!"

He turned to see Cloud looking up too, with an arm reached out, and he ran over to take his brother's hand, frowning.

"Come on, we need to get some work done." Cloud said finally, turning to start walking.

Roxas winced, before nodding and looking down to his burnt, blistered, broken hands. Time for work.

Following Cloud down the broken, bumpy path, dirt collecting on his feet, he looked at the others stepping out. He sort of had an idea of what they all were. What, being all, like, animal-like. Long ears, almost like rabbits, but not quite, out the sides of their heads where ears should be. Triangular. And long, fluffy tails, some had two, depending on the level of mutation down here. Roxas and Cloud were lucky to not mutate, though Cloud mutated himself later, what with chopping his ears and tail off, and planting cybernetic human ears.

Roxas himself didn't get why Cloud did it, but he supposed maybe to try and fit in more? The boy shrugged, and pushed his sleeves up. When Cloud slipped down into the rickety basket, he eagerly jumped in, without a second thought, and watched as other, dirty, grungy foxes like them, crawled in. Squall, his brothers boyfriend reached out, and grabbed the rope, helping Cloud to lower them all down, as the basket bounced back and forth.

Roxas leaned over the side, and looked down, his eyes wide, always excited with the journey up and down. The spice that ran through the tunnels, up and down, glowed when Oxygen was applied to them. He could see them now, the faint glittering purple and orange glows running up and down, like spider webs.

But they weren't down here for little deposits of spice that filled the dirt. They were here for the Ore. The iron. Any type of metal to be found. Coal as well, and if anyone was lucky enough to find an oil deposit, he'd be set for life.

The lower they got, the thicker the air became, until the basket hit the dirt, and they all clamored out. Another long day for work.

Roxas walked down, along side Sora, Squall's little brother, and grinned to him, chatting calmly about where they'd set up, some new things they found yesterday.

"The soldiers came again." Sora said softly. Roxas arched a brow, looking to him, and tilting his head. "Yeah. This time they took mom, and the baby." Sora sighed, turning to start hitting the wall with his hammer, making some dirt fall, while Roxas raked it away.

"Wow. Sorry."

"It's fine. Squall said they've been taking all the elders from other tribes, who have more value than ours."

"More value! We're valuable!" Roxas snapped, his ears flattened and he bared tiny fangs in annoyance, before coughing, and trying to wipe the dirt and soot and dust off them, instantly coating his mouth as he coughed.

"Ew. Here." Sora sighed, holding out a small jug of scotch, as Roxas downed it, coughing at the born. "It's really the only thing strong enough to get rid of the taste."

"No kidding." Roxas gasped, before handing the jug back, and coughing some more, before wiping his nose, turning back to his work, chipping away at the wall. It was the same as any other day. Work till your back is about to break, then work some more. Eat a lot of dirt, because it was better than the porridge you got at the end of the day. But at least he got to work with Sora, the only other person in the village remotely close to his age.

The day went on, nothing out of the normal. When high-noon hit, they knew, because Squall's watch on his wrist beeped. "Everyone, to the bucket!" Squall called out, as everyone down the tunnels passed the message on, as all the moon foxes started putting down their tools, and trudged up, heading for the basket.

Roxas walked with Sora, behind Cloud, who had a nice cut from one of the rocks falling on his shoulder. As they all started piling into the bucket, and Cloud and Squall once again gripped the rope, starting to pull themselves up, Roxas sat down, groaning.

"We can't do that. Might get trampled." Sora whispered, standing near his friend, as Roxas grunted in annoyance.

"At this rate, I don't care anymore-"

The bucket jerked around, and bounced, everyone gaping, turning around a bit, in confusion.

Cloud and Squall tugged on the rope harder, finding they couldn't get any higher. Or any lower.

"Attention, Southern Tribe. Attention." Came the sharp voice from above.

Roxas looked up, his eyes wide. The entrance still seemed so far off, but the voice vibrated down to them. Everyone began murmuring what was happening, looking around in fear.

"Southern Tribe. According to our data, your tribe has given the least product, of all the others. Your tunnels are producing no more useable items, and are giving us no profit."

Now, at this point, the tribe was near panicked, as Cloud and Squall tried harder to lower themselves, pushing, pulling, grunting.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience this is to you. We have taken the most promising individuals from your tribe. The rest of you, are being let go of, as his Majesty has commanded."

Roxas covered his ears as everyone started screaming now, several crying, others, even going so far as peeing themselves. There was one last jerk, before everyone was weightless. No, Roxas denied, his eyes wide. They weren't weightless. The rope had been cut. They were falling.

Grabbing Sora, he clung to his friend, as he felt stronger arms around them, from Cloud and Squall, while they fell, the loud screams of terror echoing up to the top.

Down, and down they went, with the wind blurring around them, before a moment of silence hit. Roxas didn't know if he went deaf, or what happened, but it was that moment of silence that frightened him worse than the fall.

Then they collided.

Roxas felt the pain slide up through him, and he tried to cry out, but the silence had him, as he was crushed below Sora, and some broken bits of the bucket. The last thing he saw, with thick wetness trying to block his vision, was someone trying to crawl, with a broken chard of wood through their stomach. Then his vision blanked, and he passed out, head hanging.

**xXx**

The first thing the blonde saw, upon waking, was darkness. It took several long minutes to realize that he had something caking his eyelids shut. He tried to move his right arm, but it was crushed beneath him. Working with his left arm, he found he could twist it backwards and to the side. After pushing the limb out, he moved to wipe his eyes, brushing the crust away, and groaning. It took a while, to realize the snake like things he was seeing was just the spice. So, at least the passage to air hadn't been cut off. Or, he wasn't out that long.

Either could work.

But judging by how the bodies around him were cold, he was thinking it was the first guess, which also made the pit of his stomach drop, and he instantly turned and retched. On what body, he didn't know, but the smell of his own bile, mixed with old blood, and dirt, and coal, made him want to retch again, but he turned his nose away, and worked on pushing himself out of the pile he was in. It wasn't that hard, with only... a small body on him. He felt tears filling his eyes, as his hands shook, turning a bit, to touch the broken body he'd just crawled out from under. Sora.

Sora his best friend. Sora, the boy he spent too many hours just sitting around, talking. Too many countless hours working alongside. Sora, the boy he considered his brother.

Hiccuping, his arms slid around the boy, and hugged him tightly, face pressed into his friend's cheek, and he cried harder. He didn't know how long, or how hard, but he did, as his arms shook. His brother, he knew he was crushed. Squall, the tribe. Everyone.

The longer he cried, the bigger the stone in his chest grew.

It grew till it plugged up his tears, and made him scream in anger.

The humans would pay for this. Those damned humans, with their machinery, and vast numbers. Their 'Majesty' Vincent. Oh, he would pay.

They ALL would.

His resolve set, Roxas looked up the tunnel, and he worked his jaw. He had to get out of there. But he didn't know how.

The rope was cut. No one would help him out, and he didn't think he could climb out.

Hopelessness settled into his chest, and he slumped, laying on the bodies of the dead, while he stared up the tunnel. It was so long, he couldn't see the opening. Not that he probably wanted to. There would be no light up there.

Closing his eyes, Roxas slipped into another sleep, bone weary from all the anger and vengeance he wanted. Worn out from all the emotional barrage.

Even in his sleep he didn't have dreams. Shaking his head, he opened his eyes to more darkness. "Hnnnnn." He groaned. Pushing himself up, he slid down the bodies, and into the tunnel, blindly working his way around them, to try and scrounge for something, anything to eat. There was no way he'd eat his friends and family.

After giving up on his quest for food, he just settled for grabbing a shovel and digging holes. Working hard, he dragged Cloud into one hole first. And buried him. Next came Squall, and the bigger bodies he could reach. He didn't bother sleeping, unable to sleep anymore, working the next hole. Only this one wasn't quite as big as the others, as he dragged Sora over, pushing him into the hole. He thought he'd cry. That he'd feel something.

But all Roxas felt, was quiet resolve. Fingers wrapping around the shovel that was covered in his blood. His hands splintered and bleeding, he started tossing dirt over Sora's body. Not ceasing in his work once.

As he was patting the dirt down, on Sora's grave, the ground shook, and he stumbled, ramming the shovel into the ground and holding it, to keep from being tossed.

"What, the fuck?" Roxas gasped, staring around him, as he felt clumps of dirt hit him, and he winced. His ears flattened and his tail wrapped around his leg, while he turned, dragging the shovel with him, heading for the base of the opening, looking up, just as something exploded, and a bright flash of light appeared, before Roxas realized what it was.

A flaming ball of fire headed right down in his direction.

Turning and running, he screamed, sliding through the tunnels, as it hit, and he jumped down into the grave next to Sora's, one he had planned for the eldest, as saw the fire race over the opening. His eyes massive, while he tried to curl away from the licking heat, feeling his skin burn, and boil, while it raced over.

And just like that, it was gone. Roxas blinked, pushing himself up, looking around. All the tunnels were lit up, as if it were the middle of a rainbow, all the spices glowing every streaming color imaginable, twisting around, and around. The ground was lit up as well, and for the first time in what seemed forever, Roxas could see his hands, which were too gross to look at.

"What... was that." Roxas gasped, looking back behind him, then forward again, as he started up in that direction, following the rainbow trail up to the tunnel that led out.

Now he could see it. The faults in the tunnel. The broken spots. His eyes grew wide, as he coo'ed, a bit of childish curiosity distracted by the sight above him.

The curiosity only lasted for a moment, before he shook his head, and turned to rub his eyes, which were only now beginning to sting from all the colors and light. It took several minutes before he could slowly open them again, without being disoriented. Pushing himself up, he looked back to the tunnel, before back out again, and slid down the tunnel with the grave, finding a pickax. Holding it in one hand, he looked for another, searching, not needing to blindly pat around again, before grabbing another. His stomach gnawing at him, and his heart racing, he turned, walking back to the opening tunnel, and looked up. Growling, he slammed a pick into the wall, and then the next one.

And the next. And the next. His feet pressed to the wall, helping to keep balance, while he walked right up the side of the tunnel, pressing upwards. It wasn't so hard at first, really. In fact it almost seemed like he'd get there soon. Excitement blossomed, and he pressed on quickly. Right hand, left foot. Right foot, left hand! One then the other. Alternating, he felt like a bug on a wall, the rainbow lights aiding him.

Flinging the right Pickax into the wall, he groaned, finding his hand slipping, the sweat making it harder to grip. Fear hit home, and he looked down. He couldn't see the bottom anymore, and he couldn't see the top. Eyes wider, he swallowed, and pushed himself harder, whimpering. Alternating wiping his hands on his shirt, as he went up, it felt even longer now. Like forever. Like trapped inside a vortex.

_Just let go. It isn't so bad. Just let go._

No!

Roxas' mind screamed. Soon the lights were like a nightmare, swallowing him. The beast had him in her throat, and wasn't letting him out, and he _needed_ to get out of there. "Help! Someone, please! PLEASE!" He sobbed, his face pressed to the side, his mind spinning.

He felt his arms shaking, his feet now just hanging, ready to just let go, and join the rest.

But just as he was about to fall, hands sliding off the pickax, his eyes widened, and he gasped in air, head feeling like it was floating on a sea of nothing.

No! He couldn't quit.

If he quit, who would stand up for those of his tribe who died. Cloud? Sora? Squall?

Would they forever lay under the cold surface, in those rainbow tombs, never to be avenged for the horrific murder committed to them? To the others? No. If he didn't get out of here, it would never happen. And other clans would die.

The fox in him lifted it's head, and he leaned his head back and crooned out a long howl, much like a wolves, feet pressing to the wall, before pushing back, turning to dig his claws into the opposite side of the tunnel, his feet pressing while he climbed with his claws, scaling like a bug, like a spirit, moving at a speed he wasn't before, nearly running up the side of the tunnel.

He could see it now. The opening. His eyes widened, and he began to throw himself into getting up there. More, and more, the closer he got, the more the adrenaline coursed through his being, sending him into a flaming high, that had his heart racing. With a last leap, he latched onto the edge, and began pulling himself out of the tunnel, panting, grabbing the dirt surface and wiggling up.

Holding himself up by his hands and knees, what he tried to catch his breath. He'd go home, grab some needed things, and leave.

But when he lifted his head, it wasn't what he expected.

Fire lit the sky. Millions of black ships looked like they were engaging battle. Thunder stormed over the skies.

The earth was on fire. His village was gone.

Roxas couldn't believe what he was seeing, looking to the fire raining down from ships exploded, and hitting the ground. Exploding in the sky, he couldn't hear them, but he saw them. His ears pressed flat, he just sat there watching. A massive ship, probably a colony one, by the looks of it, was hit with a rocket from a small serpent ship, and it seemed to warble.

The boy was too caught up watching the ship explode, that he was surprised when he found himself thrown, hitting the ground, several yards away, as another ball of fire hit behind him. Turning to see it, Roxas gasped, holding a hand to where he probably had several broken ribs, looking up a bit higher to see where the scrap metal ball came from. Right behind it was an entire battleship headed right down in his direction. Roxas' eyes could only widen.

**xXx**

:D Well, there's the first part.  
Hopefully I'll get the second part out tomorrow!  
Wouldn't that be awesome? XD  
Anyways...  
READ AND REVIEW. :D  
MUCH LOVES FOR JOOOOOOO.

**P L A Y L I S T:** (what I can remember, from the radio. XD;)  
"Janie's Got a Gun" by Aerosmith  
"Don't You Baby?" by Tom Petty  
"Animal I Have Become" by Three Days Grace  
"Pain" by the same dudes as above.  
"It's Too Bad" by Nickleback

Titles used for the last few chapters influenced by artist, Eowyn, all from her album "Identity."


	6. Deadwood Mountain

So, here's yet, ANOTHER chapter. :D No, it's not a continuation of Roxas' story, but pt. 2 will come eventually. And I know exactly how I'm writing it. (Sorry for the confusion folks! :D) But please, enjoy the story. -bows-

**DISCLAIMER: **I think by now, we get the drill.

**NOTES: **If you want to sort of get an idea of how Luxord looks/fights ect. Go watch Pitch Black, and Chronicles of Riddick. Only, imagine him with short platinum blonde hair, and a small beard. And you'll get pretty close to what I imagine my Luxy is. Mmm, sexy beast. :]

Think Kyra from COR is similar to Axel. -shrugs- I just re-watched the series recently, so I'm all, "SO CLOSE!" Go watch Firefly or Serenity, and look for Kaylie + Wash mix and you'll get Roxas.

**SHOUT OUTS: **Go to Brink, and Braco (whom I call Taco), for their awesome reviews. :D And to Ramen for reading.

Thank you!  
Lady Pickles

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

**xXx**

"_You can bury me on Deadwood Mountain,  
By my brother Wild Bill, and sister Calamity Jane.  
Don't bring me no flowers, Just a six gun smoke-line.  
Put me eight feet down, When you bury me."_

**Deadwood Mountain  
**_hellrider: leviathan of the sky_

"So, when I saw the ship coming right at me, I couldn't move!" Roxas exclaimed, staring at Axel who blinked, his eyes wide. "Yeah. But see, it didn't come _right_ at me. Right at me." He shrugged. "It went over, and hit about... 50, or so, yards behind me, and I went flying with the aftershock."

"-Roxas- Ro—s. Eng-n finished?" The intercom buzzed.

Roxas blinked, before turning to hit the button. "Sorry Capt' been busy with Axel, and all."

"T—l him to st-p being dist-ction and get to –rk. -bout to -it Turbu-ence."

Roxas sighed, and nodded, before holding the button again. "Alright Capt'. I'll get to it." He said softly, before pulling back and grabbing his tool box. "Grab something, and hold onto it." He said to the redhead, as he slide back down under the engine, his foot braced against one of the pipes coming out of the floor to the engine.

Axel sighed and watched him touch base below, as he reached out to grip another pipe. "Turbulence huh? Code for, don't even think of talking about me?"

"Hmm? Oh! No! He wouldn't even come into the story, for a long, long time." Roxas said brightly, leaning out from under the engine, looking up to him and smiling. "Luxord and I met through a trade route. He was passing through the main city down below, in the 'core' as you all call it, and I was looking for someone to hire me. Since I knew about mechanics, he decided to pick me up, so long that if I died on his ship, my soul belonged to him."

Axel stared. What the fuck? Reaching over he gripped Roxas' ankle. "You know it doesn't."

"Sure it does. You made the same agreement didn't you?" He said, sliding back out from under the ship, looking up to him, blinking slowly, before grinning broadly. "All is well though. I've been traveling with him for almost thirty years."

Axel blinked. Then pulled his hand back. Thirty... years? "Roxas?"

"Yeah?"

"How... old are you?"

"I'm almost seventy!" Roxas beamed, his ears up, looking rather proud of that fact, before jumping when the speaker yelled,

"Roxas! Need those side rockets available to me NOW!"

"Wow! Boss! I heard you clearly!" Roxas said, sitting right up.

"Fixed the speakers on my end. You're still a bit shaky. Now. Get the damn engine working."

"Kay!" Roxas laid back down, and slid back under, as Axel looked between the speaker, then Roxas and back.

"Where are we?"

"Still in the Forgotten Isles. Now shhhh."

Axel sighed, and pulled some funky looking tool out, and twirled it between his fingers, looking at it drolly, before looking back to Roxas' feet, and then the speakers again, before looking around the room, and he slumped down against the wall, rubbing his face. Patting Roxas' foot, he moved to stand up. "I'm going to go look for something to do on this massive heap of metal."

"Go right ahead." Roxas told him absently, focused on his work now. Axel watched him for a moment, before looking away, and walking out into the hall, and meandered his way through the levels.

Axel looked to the shops again, and a part of him felt like he was walking on the set of one of those SciFi movies he was so fond of back at him, and his hand reached out to touch the glass to a clothing shop.

"Humans used to only dream of these possibilities." But now, it was fact. Did they think war would come with all this power?

Naturally.

Looking away from the glass he sighed, and walked around, stepping into the shop, looking around, frowning, and sliding through the clothing racks. A woman's shop? What was this needed for! Axel rolled his eyes, as he spun around a bit, before looking through some of the dresses. "You know, I know some girls back home who would pay a crap ton for all of this frilly stuff." He mused, looking at all these dresses, coming in all shapes and sizes.

His fingers sliding over a rich copper one, with deep forest green edges, and gold tones, he purred softly, his head leaning to the side. "You know... this one's... not soooo bad." He said gently, pulling it off the hanger and holding it up before him. "Probably a bit to big for me. But..." He shrugged, then laughed faintly. "What sort of guy dreams about wearing a dress?"

Setting it back, he turned away, and headed out of the shop, looking through the others. A hairdresser, a men store, where he nabbed himself some new shirts and breeches, and a grocer, which made him shudder and shy away from it.

Sighing, and scratching his head, he turned to look around, growing bored, after spending the entire afternoon just meandering around. Axel made his way to a map, convenient and absolutely helpful, he looked at the route he wanted to take, and almost stepped around before he noticed something. Stepping back he crouched down, looking to the corner. A marker drawing of two ships. One had a family of three in it, and it said in wobbly hand writing, 'home' and the other ship had another stick figure in there with the words, 'daddy' on it.

But why was the one with the daddy all scribbled on?

His hand slid down over it, eyes softer, before he sighed, and looked around a bit closer. This ship held entire families at one time.

It held homes.

Taking it a bit more seriously now, he stood up, and looked to the map closer. He noticed it. The faint marker circle around a square. 45B. Deck 4. East side. Odd numbers. Memorizing the route, he turned and ran for the elevator, pressing his hand to the button, before stepping in, and shutting it.

Up the elevator went. He began feeling like a real agent, a sleuth, deducing what happened to the people on this ship. Tapping his foot as the elevator made it's way from the fifth to the fourth deck, and opened, he stepped out, trotting down the hall. 95A. He was on west side. Looking at the halls, he tore down the other side, long strides carrying him down the hall. Reading the apartment numbers, he realized he hadn't been on deck 4 much. At least, not enough to realize these were apartment doors. And that these homes went by were maybe forty apartments.

Reaching 45B, he put his hand out to try the handle. Locked. Of course! Why would anyone make it easier for him? Wiggling the handle nice and hard he growled, before the door popped open and he blinked, at first thinking he'd beaten the thing.

That was, till it opened fully, and Luxord was on the otherside. In only a towel.

Raising a brow, Luxord stared at him for a long moment, before working his jaw. "Axel."

"Luxord."

"Captain."

"Captain." Axel corrected, shifting from foot to foot. "So... so this is... your room? Is it?"

"That would be why I'm in here, using the facilities."

"Well, you never know! You could have dirty laundry everywhere! In every apartment."

Luxord groaned, and rubbed his face. "Was there a reason for this meeting, or should I just count this as you bothering me."

"I see you're still wearing that locket."

"Axel."

"Alright, alright!" Axel held his hands up. "I was just curious."

"About the apartments?"

"About this one."

"Why?"

Axel frowned, and leaned side to side, trying to figure out how he'd say this to him, without seeming like a total weirdo. "Well..." He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "There was... a drawing on the map. You know, the one among all the shops, on deck 5? Yeah. It had this apartment marked. And I was curious."

Luxord shrugged. "There's not much to tell. I got curious about the apartment too."

"So... you're living in it now?"

"Yes."

Axel nodded, and turned away, just as Luxord seemed about to shut the door, he turned and pressed a hand to it, making the blonde cyborg stop. "Luxord?"

"Captain."

"You know, that's never going to stick."

"Then we will never get along."

"So it seems. Listen... Roxas, you know-"

"He works for me. One would assume I know him."

"Why was his tribe killed?" Axel asked, "Was it because he's a fox, not a wolf? I mean-"

"Axel." Luxord halted Axel's ramblings, before holding a hand to his forehead, and rubbing his temples slowly. Finally, pulling his hand away, Luxord looked to him. "He's a wolf. Roxas knows this, he just likes calling himself a Fox."

"Then why-"

"Those who live on the earth below, hate moon wolves. They believe they're the reason for the earth's destruction."

"So it's like up here! Only... well... the islands don't remember, and the wolves believe the humans are at fault!"

Luxord shrugged. "Maybe." He said softly, stepping back, and moving to shut his door again.

"Wait... one more thing?" Axel asked, his eyes wide, trying to look cute and impossible to ignore. Apparently it worked, since Luxord stood there, waiting for him to continue. "When did you get married? Where's your wife?" He asked, pointing to the gold wedding band on Luxord's ring finger.

Luxord looked over to his hand, then back to him. And shut the door, locking it again.

"Shit. You know, you're apparently eager to share information about EVERYONE else! But not you! Nooooo! DICK!" Axel hit the door, before he turned, resting his back against it, sliding down the door, rubbing his face.

**xXx**

Luxord looked out to the wall across from him, leaning against the door as well, his eyes distant, trying to remember. Looking down to his hand, he twisted the ring on his finger, and frowned. His brows furrowed, and mouth slashed into a thick frown, scowling at the small piece of jewelry that had been just as much a part of him, as his own heartbeat. "I don't remember."

_I don't remember.  
Not the faces. Not the places.  
They're shadows to my life.  
Names like a wind across my memory.  
Fleeting, only brushes, and then it's gone.  
Did they ever exist?  
___

Luxord pulled the ring off, and turned it around, re-reading the same two words on the inside of the band, as ever. He thought it would say, 'I Love You' or something important. Something loving, like a wedding band might say.

No. It only said, 'Deadwood Mountain.'

**xXx  
**

YOU MADE IT.  
Again.  
WHOOOOOOOT.  
Well... it was a short chapter. :D

Hope you enjoy!  
Please, please, please...  
read and review!

**P L A Y L I S T:  
**Most music was influenced by Big & Rich.  
_Music without prejudice, my brother!_

Most used tracks were:  
"Deadwood Mountain"  
"Never Mind Me"  
"Wild West Show"  
"Holy Water"

The rest was the radio:  
"Meant To Live" by Switchfoot


	7. Going Down In Flames

AHAAHAH! Here's the next chapter! Huh. Two today. Inteeeeeeense. :D Well, I couldn't leave it on the note from last time. Last chapter was probably super boring. D: So, here's the next one, that will hopefully make you forgive me for trying to do character growth... or something like that. ENJOY!

**DISCLAIMER: **Ugh. PEW. PEW. PEW. There.

**NOTES: **Nothing new from the last intro. :D

**SHOUTOUTS: **Braco(Taco), Brink, Ramen, jaaa.

Thanks for all the support!  
Lady Pickles

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE  
READ AND REVIEW! :D

**xXx**

"_Don't tell me how life is,  
'Cause I don't really wanna know.  
Don't tell me how this game ends,  
'Cause we'll just see how it goes."_

**Going Down In Flames  
**_hellrider: leviathan of the skies_

Roxas was impressed with Axel's progress. For the last several months, they'd been working with him. Luxord taught him how to shoot, and keep aim. The runs on the forgotten islands had taught Axel the different creatures, and what to look for. Which ones to fire, and which ones to sneak around. He learned the best items to pick up, and which ones to just ignore. Carrying a blue book around, that told him the 'current' as of eight months ago, prices on everything.

He was also slowly feeling as part of crew. Even Luxord seemed to relax enough to joke around him. Their dinners were spent around a small crate in the bridge, talking about what they had found, and one of Axel's blunders, though admittedly they were growing few and far between. The Capitol seemed so far away now, in Axel's mind.

Especially with the mysteries of yesterday far behind him. He knew now, not to ask Luxord up front.

"He let's you know in little hints." Roxas said, shrugging.

"Well, what do you know about him?" Axel asked, his head tilted, curious, as he and Roxas were mopping the kitchen floor. Labor was never ending around here. But if you thought about how it was a better way to make the long, endless days go by faster, work didn't seem so bad after all.

"Well, he's a cyborg. And his word is trust worthy."

"I already know this."

Roxas just shrugged. "Not really a whole lot. You know, I just keep to myself. And he keeps to himself."

"Yeah, I've gotten that." Axel grinned, and elbowed Roxas a bit, who elbowed him back, laughing.

Axel instantly took that as a challenge, and turned to slap his ass with the mop, smirking. The small blonde squeaked, and jumped a bit, turning to look to him with wide eyes, before laughing and picking his mop up, the two suddenly locked in a mock sword-fight.

They parred around the kitchen, smacking the wood together, flicking cooling soapy water everywhere, while they did the dance of the duel. Axel's eyes were bright, as he twisted their mops together, and parred him back, smirking. "You won't win this time, Mecha."

"Mmm, if you say so, newbie." Roxas replied, pulling his own mop back, hitting Axel's leg, making the red head hobble while he swung and smacked the boy's arm.

"Ow!"

"Hah!"

On they danced between the shelves, trading hits, and losses. Wins, and blocks. The longer they fought, the closer they danced, until Axel had smacked Roxas' hand, making him drop the mop, and held the mop head to Roxas' neck. "Who's the newbie now?" He asked, while rubbing the wet strands in the boy's face, who tried to shove it away, while laughing.

Roxas finally fell backwards, landing on his ass, and crawled away to lean against the wide fridge door, his head resting back. "Okay, okay." He panted, waving his hand. "Sit down, before you start looking stupid."

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you. The cheering crowd in my head is drowning out your pathetic mewls of mercy." Axel told him in a sing-song voice, dancing through the rows one more time, before finally coming back and flopping next to him, grinning.

Roxas' ears went up, and he snorted. "Alright, weirdo."

"Are we Spanish now? Adding an 'o' to our words?"

"I think that's pig Latin."

"Whatever." Axel waved his hand, before his head flopped back, smirking to him, and then gave him a small elbow. "Hey. Hey. Wanna go bug the "captain" and see if we can piss him off?"

Roxas giggled. "You can go right ahead." He said, yawning, and stretched once more, before smacking his lips together, and leaned his head back. "M'perfectly fine, sleeping right here." He purred, ears down, and relaxed.

Axel smiled down to him, and reached an arm around to hug him to his side, where Roxas curled against him, like a young boy. Axel wasn't sure which part of him was more concerned. That this 'boy' was forty seven years older than him, or that this boy was... beautiful.

He watched Roxas sleep against him, while he stroked his arm, smiling weakly, leaning down to sniff his hair, ears back, finding the scent comforting. Warm and musky, with a bit of engine grease. Almost home, now.

Reaching his other hand up to touch Roxas' cheek and find the ambient warmth, Axel felt his throat grow dry. His lips parted, and his heart skipped several beats. He knew what he wanted now, he just didn't know how to get around to do it.

His hand spread to cup the boy's face, and lean it back, as he turned a bit, leaning his face down, licking his own lips in anticipation, before finally taking he dive, and kissing such warm... flat... lips.

"Mmm?" Axel pulled back, realizing Roxas has turned his face, and his eyes were open, looking up to him. "Ah! No, it was!" Axel felt his ears instantly go back, and he pulled away a bit, while Roxas stared back up to him, with wide eyes.

"You know, it's polite to ask, instead of taking." Roxas chided him, while Axel nodded, moving to pull back. "I would have agreed if you'd just asked."

The bigger fox turned to look to him, his ears up, blinking, before smirking. "Oh? Should have told me, before I made an idiot of myself."

"I find it amusing to watch people make idiot's of themselves." Roxas grinned, as Axel's ears lifted.

"You've done this before?"

"More times than I can count."

Axel didn't know why, but that hit his chest like a hammer. "So, this is just another hit in the ball park?"

Roxas blinked, sitting back now, his ears up, brows knitted. "Eh? You have weird analogies."

"Roxas. What do you think of me?"

"Oh boy. Not the whole virgin rant."

Axel now felt his temper go off. "I'm NOT a virgin!"

"Acting like it."

Axel wasn't sure what stung worse. The cool manner in which Roxas was dismissing the moment, or the fact that the supposed boy was... more experience than him. And was now treating _him_ like a child. "I..." His ears went back, and he shook his head, pushing himself to his feet. "I need to go. Before I hit something."

Roxas nodded, watching him leave with half-lidded eyes. "Sorry." He said, shrugging, before popping his back, and turning to look away.

Axel nodded numbly, and stumbled away. Once he got to his room, he crawled into his bunk and curled up, dragging the blanket over his head, sniffling. He shouldn't be so emotional, really. He knew Roxas, it was like having a best friend, who knew more about physics and mechanics than a college professor! But... it still stung knowing he was probably thinking of Axel as a pity fuck.

Rolling to look to the wall, he sighed, and let himself fall asleep.

**xXx**

Luxord groaned as he turned to see Axel just limply standing there, staring at a perfectly good crate of food to be taken back to the ship. A crate he'd shoved there in front of him, himself. "Axel."

"Mmm?"

"What. Is. Wrong?"

Axel lifted his head. Only he and Luxord had come out to the island this time, what with the back boosters breaking, and Roxas needing to take the time to fix them while they were there. Axel figured it was probably because he didn't want to be around the redhead. "Nothing."

"Obviously. Grab that crate and take it back to the ship." Luxord snorted, turning back to the kitchen in the small home they'd been raiding.

Axel nodded, picking the crate up, and bouncing over the gravity-less ground. Everyday he spent here, Axel found he was slowly forgetting his original plans. To get to the capital and warn the humans.

Everyday, he found it harder and harder to argue against doing labor.

Everyday he found it easier and easier to fire, and get out onto the islands.

The creatures became less scary. He felt his fear of things draining away.

But now, he just felt numb.

Hopping along the streets down to the ship, and getting to the opening, he set it down next to the others. They'd really landed on a goldmine. But he still couldn't feel eager. Turning around and bouncing back, he looked up to the sky. Always night.

_I could really use a wish right now._

He thought absently, before continuing to bounce along.

"Axel." Luxord said over the intercom, getting his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Think you can go up to the farm, and check it out? I'm going to finish up over here."

Axel shrugged, then nodded. "Sure. There only one farm?"

"I'm guessing. Pretty small island. I can see from one side to the other."

"Yeah. Same. No skeletons on this one."

"They all probably got off."

Axel nodded his agreement, and turned his direction, heading up the hill a bit. Hopping through the houses, not really a downtown on this island, he passed the broken field, and found everything still. Empty. As if frozen in time. Heading through to the house, he pushed the front door open, and first checked for any bodies.

With nothing there, he hopped down to the first floor again, and searched the kitchen. Jackpot. Grabbing the almost full duffel bag, he tried stuffing all he could into it, then began looking for more things to carry it all. Going through the living room, and grabbing small pieces of gold bracelets, and gems. "Wow. Luxord. This place is a goldmine of stuff."

"Probably got overlooked by the pirates a decade ago."

"Wow. Well, thanks unobservant pirates." Axel grinned, before reaching upstairs. There was no sign of children in any of the rooms. But the main room that was used had pictures everywhere on it. Smiling he looked at them. A silver haired man, working on a farm, wearing a pair of worn overalls, with no shirt, holding a shovel. Another had a blue haired... wolf? Working in the kitchen. That got his attention.

Apparently the two knew each other.

Better yet, it looked like they were married to one another. Axel tilted his head, before looking around the room, and he started looking through the closet, and found clothes. Memoirs of wedding stuff on a top shelf.

Turning around, he opened the dresser drawers. More clothes. Two different sizes. Boots. Shoes. He stepped out of the room, and down the hall, now _really_ looking at the walls. Seeing the wedding picture at the bend in the staircase, on the wall. His eyes wide, as he turned around and bounced down to the livingroom.

Everything so well preserved. Now he was curious. Moving to the bathroom, he checked there, and didn't find anything of interest. Moving out, he looked to see the door across from the bathroom and opened it. Some coats, some shoes. Sighing, he shut it, and turned to look around. There was absolutely nothing of interest in here.

Stepping out of the house, he looked up to the barn, and bounced in that direction, moving along with an amble pace. "Luxord. The farm house is filled to the brim with stuff. Furniture, everything."

"Good. I'll be up in ten."

"Alright. I'll check the barn out." Axel said, as he made it to the barn doors, finding them open. Stepping in, he checked, his air tank, finding it was still half full. Turning to look back to the barn, he hopped in, and looked the tools over. Horse harnesses. Buggies. Ropes. It was a treasure chest! Looking around he bounced high, not needing the ladder to the loft. Landing on the loft, he looked around, grinning, before something caught his eye. There was a large trunk in the corner, and he hopped over, scowling when he found it locked.

Looking for something to break it open with, he finally smirked, when he grabbed the shovel, hoping it would hold and turned to the lock, before raising the shovel, and bringing it down, hitting at the lock. It took four, maybe five hits, before it finally broke off, and he grinned, setting the shovel down, to try and open it, grunting. Frozen shut.

Hitting the shovel into the crevice, and then shoving down as best as he could, popping the lid. "God."

Axel panted and would have wiped his brow, when he crouched down and pushed the lid back, his eyes widening at the sight before him.

It was the blue haired wolf curled up in the trunk, nude. Frozen.

**xXx**

Made it again? Sweet. ^ ^  
thanks for sticking around. :D  
AND PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!  
MUCH LOVES FOR JOOOOOOO.

**P L A Y L I S T:**

radio again. What I remember from it! XD  
"Airplanes" by Marshall Mathers (aka Eminem)  
"Ridin' Dirty" by Charmillionaire  
"Party In The USA" by Miley Cyrus

Too many Rihanna songs to remember.


	8. In The End

Alright, so second week. Sorry about the few days off. Lots of college things to work through, along with a hospital run! D: But anyways, here's an update. I'll try to be good about updating everyday, so you can enjoy it more. XD

P.S. Sorry it's so short. XD;; getting back in after a few days being off. Kept getting interuppted.

Ehh, it's a smut chapter. What're you complaining about? XD

**DISCLAIMER: ** Blah, blah, blah. S'bout it.

**NOTES: **Thanks to those who reviewed, and stuffs. S'pecially my loyal readers Braco and Brink. You two are awesome. :D Thank you for all the e-mails I've gotten, and I hope you all continue to enjoy it!

**EXTRA:** I've gotten some questions from people, so here's some answers so hopefully you all aren't so confused.

Q: If Roxas is older than Axel, why does he look younger?  
_Websters disease._

Q: Why was Roxas' clan killed?  
_Humans on earth are prejudice against wolves, and want them dead. Why not get free labor out of it, before you off them? :D_

Q: What is Luxord's deal?  
_No one knows. I'll get back to you on that, when he tells me._

Q: Is this a Luxel or an AkuRoku? (I get this a lot, surprisingly)  
_I dunno. Why not just sit back and see how it unfolds. I could be a bitch and make it a random Xaldin/Luxord cross again. So, let's not worry about who's banging who, and just enjoy the story! :D_

Q: So, there's two worlds?  
_Three. Earth (newborn, second layer), the Islands (first layer, broken up), and the Moon._

Q: Are there other alien races?  
_Moon wolves aren't aliens. Well, maybe. I don't know. But I'll mention other aliens, when there's other aliens._

Q: Why are you updating daily?  
_To give you all candy of course! No, but seriously, this is all practice for me. If I write 2,000-4,000 words a morning, my creativity is fed. Sort of like practice, you know? Which is why this story isn't like Love After Death, and made to moved a bit slower. I'm just throwing it out right now. I'll edit it all later, maybe even with OC's._

Q: You still doing one-shots?  
_No. Not at the moment. My life is a bit too hectic to take one-shots on, as I try to get them all done in one day. I'll let you know when I'm taking them on again.  
__  
_Q: How old are you?  
_How old do you think I am?_

Q: Do you roleplay/write your own work?  
_I do actually. This is actually a story spawned off an original story idea I had with my own characters. Only, Axel was a female, as was Roxas, and Luxord wasn't blond. But they all started with the same letters. Ariel, Raina, and Lucas. Ariel was a tall blond wolf, Raina was a short brunette, and Lucas was a redhead. (scottish)_

Q: Do you draw?  
_A lot actually. I'm hoping to get my doujinshi in Comic-Con next year. This year I'm going to be working there, xD So I'll be too busy to have my own table. I'm also working on having plushies ready, as well as keychains, and such. If I'm lucky, Ramen may join me, as well her awesome as fuck brother, Jeren._

Q: When/where is Comic-Con?  
_San Diego, CA. July 21-25. Updates on where I'll be at Comic-Con, and such will be on my profile. Go ahead and find me, and ask for a request drawing. I'll do it in my down time._

Well, that should give you a basic low-down on the story, and a few extras. I'll probably put some of these on my profile, so people don't need to look for this chapter to get them. xD;

Anyways, onto the story!

**xXx**

_"You kept everything bottled up inside  
And even though I tried, It all fell apart.  
What it meant to me, Will eventually,  
Be a memory in time."_

**In The End**  
_hellrider: leviathan of the skies_

Axel looked at the body laying on the table. They were in the "hospital" wing of the ship. Though he'd rather have just called it sickbay. The man hadn't moved once, since they'd unfrozen him nearly a week prior. He was breathing fine, everything seemed normal. Even brain activity told them that he should be able to wake up at any moment. But he just didn't! Axel didn't know what annoyed him more. That Roxas and Luxord didn't seem that bothered, or that they seemed to take this blue haired stranger on easier than they took him on.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Axel walked over to the body and stared down into the cold face. "What... the fuck." He grunted, arms crossing over his chest, as he looked away, then back down again. A hand reached over and touched the warm forehead, the cross scar over his face, the thick lashes.

Well, he did have some soft hair, Axel conceded, patting it down.

"Axel, out of the hospital ward and get back into the engine room. We need fuel." Luxord said over the intercom.

Axel's ears went back as he hissed. How the hell did that man always know where he was? Glaring up at the speaker where the intercom had hailed, he grunted, then turned to look away. Patting the body, he stepped out, and walked down the hall, in the direction of the engine. After the over emotionalism of him and Roxas, that weird meeting with Luxord and now this new, as useful as a dead guy, addition, he had decided to just get over the whole 'Does Roxas care, does Roxas not care' shit, and just be friends.

That was much easier to deal with. Just getting over the initial awkwardness, and just welcoming Roxas as who he was. Whore and all.

Alright, maybe whore was a bad word, but you got his meaning!

Axel stepped into the engine room, and looked at Roxas back to work, smiling slowly. "Yo."

Roxas blinked, turning to look over to him then leaned his head to the side. "Hey. You know the drill by now, right?"

"Yeah, I think so." Axel told him simply, walking over to the opening valve. Sliding the cap off, and looking down the dark tunnel, he sighed, before pulling a pocket knife out of his back pocket, used to carrying it around now. Pressing the sharp blade to his upper forearm, just under the bend in the elbow, he hissed, and sliced the tender flesh.

Blood ran down his arm, and he squeezed, trying to get as much out as possible, before he healed up. Eyes looked down to the cut, and watched while it slid from his arm and dripped down into the pipe. It stung, but Axel figured if he was going to contribute, this was a good way.

Kept the ship running, the heat heating, the food ah... fooding? And the water flowing. It was an important job, one he was practically bred to do!

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even realize when Roxas had come over to him, taking his arm, and running his tongue over the cut.

Axel felt his ears go back, curious, before his eyes fell in a half-lidded manner, and he smiled weakly, heart pounding softly, while he sighed, and leaned back a bit, watching the shorter man rasp his tongue over his arm over and over. The redhead found it soothing, as much as it was alarming. Roxas was shirtless, every marring visible.

Oh, he looked good... for a kid-looking old man.

Roxas looked up to him, smiling wickedly. Axel jumped at the look, finding, next he was nearly bent over, and kissed deeply. The taller man groaned into Roxas' mouth, and found himself leaning closer, in almost a wanton, weak way, while a slender, strong arm slid around his waist, bringing him down, closer, holding him up, when the redhead's legs just collapsed, and he nearly fell, holding the blond tighter.

Lips diced over each other, faster, and faster. Hands sought warmth, heat, each other. They looked for secrets and found them.

_Axel didn't know where his mind was. One moment, he was in the engine room, swapping spit with Roxas, and next he was panting, and laying back on a mattress, below a strong, fit __young man, who had wild sandy blond hair. And the deepest sea green eyes ever. Axel stared up at him, in absolute rapture, his heart pounding in surprise, excitement. Heady expectation._

He felt the other man lean down, and kiss him deeply, Axel groaning loudly, over the feel up warm, broad muscles under his hands. Delicious, warm, salty skin. Tangerine lips.

Panting, Axel groaned, stretching up, and rocked against him slowly, over and over, writhing, begging. Large hands picked him up, and pulled him off the bed, while he mewled, pathetically writhing in those arms, kicking and squirming, nearly bucking.

Set on his feet, he turned around, and placed his hands on the wall, while he felt those large hands slide down his sides, and hips. Around to his bottom, and he felt cupped, squeezed, delightfully rubbed. One hand pinched a cheek, before the palm slid down, and between his legs, cupping him, while Axel groaned, and fought to keep standing. The other hand roamed to rest over his stomach, then up a bit more. Fingers played with his nipples, while he shook his head, groaning.

Feeling warm lips against his shoulder, he rasped out, "God, god, gods." There was a rumbling chuckle from the man behind him, and he turned to look over to him, while the man flashed a broad, easy-going grin.

His face youthful, almost playful looking.

It touched Axel on a level, deeper than he could name. It relaxed him on a plane, he couldn't reach alone.

And when those fingers entered him, he cried out. He felt upside down. He felt like he was spinning around. Over and over those fingers entered, making him pant, and cry out, over, and over. He felt hard. Hung. Heavy.

"No, no more!"

Lips pressed to his neck, then his chin, Axel found those fingers going away. But to replace them was something much larger. Much heavier. Oh, it was like heaven. And sliding in was easier than he would have thought.

Yowling, Axel pressed his face to the wall, fingers curling against. Hands on his waist, the rhythm was set quickly. They moved in a swaying beat that pounded with their hearts. Their voices melded to make a song. Axel arched into the teeth in his back, his tail flicking side to side, and his ears fell flat.

To nature's song, they rammed. They danced. They groaned and whimpered.

_When Axel thought it was over, no. He was turned around, and picked up. Mindlessly, Axel threw his legs around the man's waist, his arms around his shoulders. Their lips met viciously, in time with the man entering him, and continuing the feverish pounding._

Up, and up, Axel felt himself flying. His hands slid through the wild hair, and over humanoid _ears. He felt safe here. Safe, and loved. Secure._

"Demyx!"

"DEMYX!" Axel screamed, arching up into the smaller body over him, as Roxas finished, Axel gone not second's before. The redhead felt his eyes falling closed, reaching up, and expecting a tall blonde, instead, when he opened them, he found Roxas, over him, panting heavily, looking at him oddly.

"It's Roxas." He said, his ears back, curious, and worried.

Axel furrowed his brows, before shaking his head and then nodding numbly. He couldn't tell Roxas... what had just happened. "I know."

"Then... why'd...?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what a Demyx is!"

"What...?"

Axel shook his head, and waved a hand. Whatever the fuck that was, he could _not_ tell Roxas. But he couldn't just keep this to himself. He didn't know who to tell though!

**xXx**

"And WHY I'm telling you, I don't even know!" Axel groaned, rubbing his face.

Luxord arched a brow. "Neither do I."

"Except that, I didn't do you, I don't even _like_ you, and that all I can think of, with this, is that I'm just secretly a mental whore! That's it. I'm a secret whore. I secretly want to do people, while thinking about others!"

Luxord just blinked. "Well..."

"I'm a bitch. I'm a lover! I'm a child, I'm a mother. I'm a sinner and a saint! Oh but I'm so ashamed!"

". . . ."

"Song lyrics."

Luxord nodded, before rubbing his face tiredly. "Axel, before you go on another tangent, may I get a word in?"

"WHAT!"

"Have you ever thought that it was... a vision?" He asked, looking up to him, brows twisted, curiously. He'd folded his hands together now, leaning forward on his chair. They were sitting in the hospital ward, Luxord having been running tests on the wolf.

"What? No." Axel snorted, rolling his eyes. He looked around the room, arms crossed over his chest, looking at the wolf, unable to look Luxord in the eyes. He'd made the man swear not to tell a soul... and freakishly enough, he also was beginning to trust Luxord's word. He didn't trust the man, himself. But his word was enough.

"Well... I mean..." Luxord sighed. "You said, you felt like it was meant to be, that it would all be perfect... even though you hadn't met him yet. And... he's named... Demyx?"

"Well... it was just... like, I fell asleep during sex with Roxas." Which sounded even worse. The wrinkled look on Luxord's face, showed he wasn't really enjoying this conversation anymore than Axel was.

"What did he look like?"

"Sandy blonde hair... ohhhh, maybe 6 feet? 6'2"? Somewhere there. Strong. Muscular. Sea green eyes. Oh, and his hair was a bit funny. Spiky on top, sorta strait around the sides and back. Like a mullet!" Axel described, and sighed, "Warm skin, sweet lips-"

"Alright, I get it." Luxord said slowly, holding a hand up. "Sounds sort of like Demyx Nightrow."

"Who?"

"Demyx Nightrow. He's the leader of one of the islands around here. A rebel against King Xemnas."

"So fucking weird that there's a king." Axel sighed, before rolling his eyes. "Listen, we don't have time to go hunting this 'Demyx' down. I need to get to the capital."

"And you will. After I have a meeting with Demyx."

Axel scowled. "Why?"

"I have a run for him. It's fitting you're looking for him too. Convenient." Luxord nodded, settling back against his chair.

"Creepy if you ask me." Axel growled, glaring at Luxord, before jumping three feet, when Saix suddenly sat up. Luxord just smirked in pleasure at the look on Axel's face, who was staring at Saix with a horrified gaze, ears back and tail fluffed out.

"...where...where am I?" Saix croaked.

"Hell." Luxord smirked, his eyes glinting, while Axel just continued to gape like a fish, mouth opening then closing, unable to speak a word, looking to Luxord then back again, eyes as large as twin moons, Saix's eyes wide as well.

"Welcome to Hell."

**xXx**

YOU MADE IT! :D  
WHOOT.  
ANOTHER RATED R STORY.  
….should I be proud of that? O.o  
I love writing twisted, mind fucking smut. :D  
I blame the radio. It was very... unmotivational.  
Ah well!  
Another chapter will be out tomorrow.  
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE  
READ AND REVIEW!

__**P L A Y L I S T : **(radio, again)

"Oh Cherie" by Steve Perry  
"In The End" by Linkin Park  
"SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake  
"I'm A Bitch" by Alanis Morrissette.  
"Never Told You" by Colbie Collei(?)  
"Glitter In The Air" by P!NK  
"Single Ladies" by Beyonce

"I miss everything about you,  
I can't believe I lost you  
After all the things we've been through  
I miss everything about you.

I miss your blue eyes,  
every time I close mine.  
You make it hard to see."

(something like that. Forgot the song lyrics, but they were pretty.)


	9. In The House Of Flies

WHEWT! :B So, sorry it took so long to update. Kidney stones, Broken Ribs, and missing college documents sorta kept me away from ya'all. XD BUT! I has motivation (plus a crap tone of new music and movies) and so here is the next chapter! ENJOY! 8D

Lady Pickles

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the characters or music. Fail.

**NOTES: **THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED. I promise I will give proper shout-outs in the next chapters! :D

**P.S.** I KNOW SABATON IS A BAND. I just liked the name so much, I decided to honor them. :D

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW**

**!**

**xXx**

"_I watched a change in you  
It's like you never had wings  
Now you feel, So alive  
I watched you change._

I took you home, Set you on the glass  
I pulled off your wings. Then I laughed.

I look to the cross, Then I look away  
Give you the gun... Blow me away."

**In The House Of Flies  
**_hellrider: leviathan of the skies_

"_So, you were going to leave me here to die." I said almost... brokenly. My eyes were staring at the man before me. Tall, strong... faceless. Why couldn't I see his face?_

"It's for your own protection." The man said. Now, that voice I remember. But... where had I...

No. No time to think. He's closing the trunk. "NO! - please!"

Why couldn't I say his name?

"Saix. Please. Don't make yourself look so pathetic."

I fought to climb out. He wouldn't let me out. Outside, a ship crashed into our island, making it shake, and he fell to the side. I hopped out, and started running.

There was a muted blast. A sharp pain in my back. Out my front blossomed red, and I turned my body, staring at the man behind me. "you..."

He just watched me go down like a dead weight. Laying on the ground I panicked, touching my wound-

"FUCK." The blue haired man cried out, sitting right up, his chest heaving in heavy pants, eyes bugged out, and a sweat drenching his body. Looking around the small room, he groaned, and pulled his legs out from off the bed, rubbing his face, ears flat against his head. What had... he'd been dreaming that same dream over, and over again. That same scene. No before, no after. Just that. Feeling the faint throbbing burn in his chest, he reached a hand up to touch it, his eyes falling half-lidded and he sighed. There in the center of his chest was a healed bullet wound, the puckered scar felt familiar now, under his finger.

Pushing himself up to his feet, he swayed a bit, leaning to put his hand on the wall, and try to regain control of his breathing. The air felt dead around him, and he found it a bit harder to breathe than normal.

Putting a hand to the intercom by his door, he coughed, while it buzzed.

"Yes, Saix?" Came the familiar reply.

"Luxord, the air's dead."

"Yes, I'm aware. We're still on the outer boarders of the alpha zone. We should be reaching the city of Sabaton in a few hours."

Saix nodded, rubbing his face, feeling another scar on his face and he pulled his hand back slightly, looking at his palm, then around the room. "Alright. I'll hold you to that." He sighed, and let the button go, turning to walk to the bathroom. Stepping into the shower, and turning it on, her rolled his aching shoulders, and closed his eyes. Shuddering under the chill rolling over his spine, and he looked to his left arm, peeling back the wrap that Axel had given him.

_The first few times you do the fuel, it's a bit hard. You get used to it._

Saix scoffed, and dumped the wrap outside, running a hand over the smooth, flawless skin. No reminder that he'd been sliced there only the day before. Grunting, and turning back to the wall of the shower, he raked his hands through his hair, and closed his eyes, thumping his forehead against the shower back.

_I'll let you tag along for your revenge. But only on one condition..._

So he'd signed on with the devil himself.

Saix smiled. If he were to judge by his dreams...

It wouldn't have been the first time he'd danced with the devil.

Finishing up in his shower, and scrubbing his arms down, he looked to the closed window, and faintly thought about looking out. But he knew he wouldn't see anything but the blackness of space. The same damn blackness he'd been looking at for the last three weeks. Eyes closing, he sighed, and rubbed his arms, feeling the hairs prickle under his touch. Shaking his head, Saix turned and pulled the heavy work pants out, and the tank. Dragging those on and then a jacket, which he partially buttoned up, socks and the heavy boots came on next.

A hand raked through his hair, and he finally pushed himself up, and headed out of the bedroom, shutting it behind him. He came out at about the same time Axel stepped out of his room across the hall, the two of them blinking as they stared at one another.

"Oh... Saix." Axel cleared his throat.

Saix raised a brow to the tell tale bruise lining his jaw and he wanted to ask, but he knew Axel would dodge the question. He was good at that. "Axel." He said finally. Awkwardly. The two of them looked anywhere but each other, while Roxas stepped out from Axel's room, squeezing his ass as he walked by.

Axel could only feel his anger burning and turned to snarl, almost lunging, but Saix was instantly there, with an arm around the redhead's chest, trying to keep him from going after the midget blonde. Axel continued to snarl and kick till Roxas was out of sight, and he shook with barely suppressed rage.

Saix knew he understood how the redhead felt. He just couldn't put his hand onto why, and he gripped Axel tighter while he fought. "I'll kill him!"

Ever since that one time in the engine room, Roxas had been out to prove to Axel that he was much better than this 'Demyx' whom Roxas was still sure that was Axel's ex-boyfriend or something, no matter how much Axel kept telling him he didn't know the damn man. Sometimes... Roxas got a bit pushy. And from what Saix had seen of Axel, he wasn't exactly the... most emotionally stable.

After soothing Axel down a bit, he set him aside, and sighed, raking a hand through his hair, and looked down the hall. "I'm heading to the bridge-"

"Then tell that good for nothing son of a bitch to keep his mechanic's hands off me!" Axel snapped as he turned on his heels, storming back into his room, and slamming the door, hearing the loud click of a lock. Saix sighed and turned to slowly walk along the hall. His eyes lifted to the sickbay as he passed.

_I'm not going to ask about your history._

Then how did that captain know he needed revenge?

Saix frowned and shivered.

_I wouldn't trust him with my life. But his word is honest._

Saix remembered Roxas words he'd asked him the day after he started walking around. Axel seemed to have similar thoughts on the situation.

_I don't know anything about him 'cept he was married. Oh, and he fights like a real dick._

Saix didn't know how dicks fought, but he assumed it was pretty tough.

Looking up to the ceiling, and seeing glowing wires run through the black metal, he frowned.

_A ship from the very bowels of hell._

A ship from the core. A captain who knew far too much, and had a nearly all wolf crew.

One who was a mentally unstable peace maker, from the moon. The other a mentally unstable mechanic from the core.

Frowning, Saix stepped into another room, and he looked around, seeing his face in the reflection on the door.

The disfiguring cross scar down his face made him a bit twitchy, as he touched it. He didn't remember how he got it.

Except it was there, and in his face. Exactly, in the middle of his face.

Shaking his head, he turned away, and continued down the path.

Taking the steps up to the bridge, he only heard pipes pumping steam out, and the creaking of a near silent ship. A dead ship.

His eyes fastened onto the captain, standing before a monitor, looking at the large map. He didn't know what all the places were, but when he walked down, he heard that gravelly, accented voice again.

"These are the islands, and where their current layouts are. The islands tend to move from time to time. Especially when so close to the outer rim."

Saix looked up to Luxord, and grinned faintly. "That so?" He asked.

"It is." Luxord turned to look at him, azure eyes sharp, seeing everything. Every detail, spark, breath.

It threw Saix off, as he stepped down the steps, and moved to walk next to him and looked to the map. Reaching his hand out, he ran his fingers through it. "Are there aliens out there?"

"Depends on your meaning of the word. Alien means something not normal, could mean a person from another country. Or from another world."

Saix stared at the smart ass with annoyance, before looking back to the map. "Another world, of course."

"Moon wolves."

"Besides them."

Luxord shrugged. "I don't know. But one would assume so."

"Then why haven't they contacted us?"

"Ever think they might be less technologically advanced than us?" Luxord asked, arms crossed over his chest, staring at Saix. "Waiting for us to dare taking a chance in the vast blackness, and go out to find them?" He raised a brow, waiting for Saix' reply. "Or, maybe they just don't like us. Not everything is a bad science fiction movie."

"Novel."

"Excuse me?"

"Novel. I read sci-fi novels."

"Oh. Because you just seem like the novel reading kind." Luxord replied, turning to keep staring at the map.

"You're more flippant with me."

"You ask for it."

"Maybe you trust me more?"

"Not likely."

Saix stared at him, and he smiled weakly. He didn't reply nearly as much with Axel, and even less with Roxas. Maybe because the less personal you were with him, the more open he could be. But if you got too close... he would run off.

Wasn't there a song by McFly about that?

He thought about that while Luxord seemed to walk around the map and sit down, hands on the wheel, and working it around, looking like he was paying more attention to that than anything else.

Saix frowned and tilted his head in curiosity at that, while he moved over, to watch him take the auto off, and start steering the ship manually. "What's this for?" He asked, watching the captain jerk them down suddenly.

Luxord smirked. "Fun."

**xXx**

"_So I guess I just lost my husband, I don't know where he went. So I'm gonna drink my money, I'm not gonna pay his rent. I've got a brand new attitude and I'm gonna wear it tonight. I'm gonna get in trouble, I wanna start fight._

Nananana-"

"I wanna start a fight." Luxord grunted as he pulled his fist back, feeling the skin broken and bloody. The man who was laying before him, with a smashed face, made him smirk. They'd been docked on one of the bigger cities, Sabaton, for the better part of the day, and in less than five hours, Luxord had an unconscious man at his feet. Turning back to his drink at the bar, he picked it up, and downed it, feeling the burning liquid sliding down his neck, making his belly clench and ache, while his eyes closed savoring the feeling, in his otherwise cold body and frozen mind.

"Hey!"

Luxord sighed, as he rubbed a hand over his mouth and turned to stare at the man. "And here come the cheesy lines."

"Damn straight, Brit. What the fuck?"

Luxord smirked. It was rare someone actually knew his accent was from old earth, and not one of the colonies. "Cid Highwind. You ass hat." He said with a smirk. Reaching a hand out, they slapped their palms together, and gave slapping hugs, grunting in the only way men are comfortable saying love you. Pulling back, he stared at him, raising a brow. "What are you doing on Sabaton? I thought you were still in the core."

The rugged blonde shrugged, his smile widened till it was slowly growing more wicked by the second. "Not enough work."

"You mean nothing left to kill."

"Ehhh. No one does any bad things down there anymore. The nazi regime has taken over everything. And I mean _every_thing."

Luxord nodded, before turning a bit, and without an ounce of remorse, he shoved the man next to him off the stool and made it available to Cid. "Take a seat. Drink. Catch me up."

Cid grinned, as the man was pushing himself up onto the ground, and growling as he stood up. "You're going to pay for that." The man snarled. Luxord didn't even look fazed as he stared up to him, with unblinking eyes. The man was towering, and was apparently trying to intimidate Luxord with his sheer mass, leaning over him.

Luxord didn't even raise a hand as something cracked over the giant's head, as his eyes crossed, and he slumped over his own stool, and fell to the floor, Cid standing behind him, with his long staff, as he grinned, and wiped his nose, smirking. "Don't mess with my baby brother."

"Haven't called me that in forever." Luxord mused as Cid moved to sit next to him, and shrugged, slapping the bar for his own large quart of beer, taking an enormous swallow.

"You haven't been around in forever." Cid replied, turning to look to him, and raised a brow. "So, cue me in on what's going on, on the old Hellrider."

The younger blonde grinned, and rested his chin on his hand, and opened his mouth, giving the tale of the last several months to Cid, while the wild kangaroo listened intently to every word. From getting a hitchhiker, to running across a minotaur infested island, and the undead werewolf.

"Undead?"

"Vampire. Zombie. Necromancer magic." Luxord said with a shrug.

Cid nodded, running his thumb over his jaw. "Never heard of this before."

"Neither have I. Heard of undead humans in the core, but not a wolf."

Cid nodded slowly, as he rested his elbows on the bar, going through his third quart, frowning. "Huh. They never have enough in these."

"Says you."

"What are you talking about. You drink a shit ton more than me." Cid grunted. They both suddenly laughed, and shook their heads, as they got up. Turning to head out of the bar, side by side, the bartender spoke up.

"You didn't pay."

Stopping, Cid smiled, looking to the side, at Luxord, who nodded. Turning Cid shrugged. "Huh. I suppose we should." He sighed, turning to look at the bartender. The man frowned, but his eyes widened, and suddenly there was the remains of a laser shot through his head, and he dropped, a stream of smoke coming up from the still cooking skin and brains. "Gross." Cid looked to Luxord who had his weapon out, eyes heartless. "And still, the bloodshed continues."

"Never stopped." Luxord replied, sliding his weapon into the holster under his right arm.

"Amen." Cid slapped his back while they walked out of the bar, and headed down the street and into the large city. People passed by them, a few women giving them second glances, in which Cid winked at, but didn't stop in his gait down the street. The high, almost sky scraping buildings had smaller ships floating around them, and the sky looked almost purple from where they were.

This island was one of the largest, and had three major cities, and four smaller villages. Several farms. Population of almost ten million. There were four crystals on this island, originally five. The stronghold was too... strong... for even the capitol to attack. Cid had found that the citizens had... become too plush. Too... fattened and over confident for their own good. He'd originally come here to cause trouble. The last thing he'd expected, was to see Luxord here.

"So... if you're not here for supplies, and not to see me, what were you doing here?" Cid asked calmly.

"Demyx Nightrow."

The name brought silence between the two, and chilled them down, as Cid stared at him, eyes slightly having widened, staring at him. "Luxord." He frowned.

"He's been marked."

"No."

The two held silence, as they continued through the street. "By who?" Cid finally asked, nearly scowling.

"Axel."

"By the red wolf!" That's when the grease man had to blow up, staring at his brother. "He's married, Luxord. You can't give him to a wolf."

"Fate dictated."

"You're not fate's right hand anymore, you don't have to do this!"

Luxord turned on him, and he stared at Cid hard. "Just because you gave your job up for her, doesn't mean I have." He kept eye contact with his brother, scowling, before he turned around, and started walking again. Cid let him get ahead a few steps, before trotting over, and grabbing his arm. He felt his brother stiffen instantly, but Cid refused to let go.

"She won't bring your wife back, Luxord. Not your wife, or your son. She _can't_. I tried with Reno, remember?"

"Reno went to hell, Cid!" Luxord bit out, turning to glare up at him, eyes blazing. "He's being punished."

Cid nodded, as he rubbed his face, letting Luxord go, while they stood there, people continuing to pass by. "Let's... go somewhere else. We can't continue this discussion here."

"My ship is down at the docks."

"My hotel's closer."

Luxord sighed and rolled his neck, feeling each pop. "Probably more private."

"Not really."

The two turned direction, as Luxord patted Cid's back, in... an almost apology.

**xXx**

THANKS FOR FINISHING  
It sort of jumped around a LOT.  
But it'll all pan out. Don't worry. :D  
Stick around for the next chapters! :D

**P L A Y L I S T :** _(just putting in the theme songs for the characters.)_

Luxord  
"You're The Storm" by The Cardigans _(I'm an angel bored like hell, And you're a devil meaning well.)_  
"Funhouse" by P!nk _(Pictures framing up the past, Your taunting smirk behind the glass.)_

Axel  
"Lovegame" by Lady GaGa _(It's complicated and stupid, Got my ass squeezed by sexy cupid.)_  
"Wasteland" by 10 Years _(Please, ignore the bleeding heart perched on my shirt.)_

Roxas  
"Please Don't Leave Me" by P!nk _(I can cut you into pieces, when my heart is broken.)_  
"Paparazzi" by Lady GaGa _(I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you till you love me.)_

Saix  
"Change (In The House Of Flies)" by Deftones _(Give you the gun, Blow me away.)_  
"Tik Tok" by Ke$ha _(Cause tonight I'mma fight till we see the sunlight.)  
_  
Cid  
"Poker Face" by Lady Gaga _(Russian Roulette is not the same without a gun, And baby when it's love, If it's not rough it isn't fun.)_


	10. Sabotage Sabaton Pt One: Poker Face

Hey, thanks for reading the next chapter! :D And thanks for sticking around, YO. Sorry about the last chapter. It was ALL OVER THE PLACE. D: But don't worry, I'll fix it. Someday. I'm still messing with this whole sci-fi thing, and I'm trying to show small bits, without giving shit away, so if you have questions, IT'S ALRIGHT. You're meant to. If you can figure it out, before then, then tell me! But please, do NOT ruin it for anyone else. Kerplah.

Sorry it took me so long. I've been sucked into playing Mass Effect, so I sorta was all, uhm... lawl... yeah... dinking around. BUT I GOT COLLEGE STUFFS FIGGERED OUT. And no moar kidney stone. WHEEE.

This next month is going to have back to back family though, sad to say. D: So I might not be able to update so much. I can try though.

But, either way, ENJOY.

ALSO, I have a question for you all. Should Cid become part of the crew? Yes? No? Maybe?

Tell me why you chose yes, or no. (or maybe, for all you indecisive people.)

Lady Pickles

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own the characters or music. But I did use them for my evil pleasures. (insert an evil cackle here)

**NOTES: **Thanks and shout outs go to: ALL OF YOU. Nerf a derf!

**P.S.** I beat Mass Effect 2, and so now I have more time to focus on this story. Haha...

**THANKS! KEEP UP THE GREAT REVIEWS! :D  
AND PLEASE!  
READ AND REVIEW THIS ONE TOOOOOOOO!**

**xXx**

"_I wanna roll with him, A hard pair we will be  
A little gambling is fun when you're with me.  
Russian Roulette is not the same without a gun  
And baby, When it's love, If it's not rough, It isn't fun."_

**Sabotage Sabaton Pt. One: Poker Face**_  
hellrider: leviathan of the skies_

Axel scowled darkly as his fist hammered into the controller panel of the ships main board. He stared at the map before him, and bared his fangs in a hiss. Red ears flat against his head, and tail fluffed out sporadically behind him, he growled again. Hearing the door slide open behind him, he whipped around and had his claws out and ready, green eyes flashing. Seeing Luxord stepping onto the bridge, he didn't even pay the other man any mind as he stormed over, before jutting one sharp claw against Luxord's neck, his snarl only becoming more agitated. "Were we EVER going to the capitol?" He bellowed.

The words echoed around the near empty bridge and Luxord stood there, blinking at him slowly. There was a long pause, before he sneered and reached out to grab Axel's forearm, nearly crushing it under his grip, as the redhead began to whimper. The captain felt the bons begin to warp under his hand, and he let go, pushing Axel back, before standing up a bit straighter. "Axel."

Axel just took a few steps back, holding his arm to his chest, eyes glaring. "Answer me."

There was a long pause, while Luxord looked at him speculatively. "Probably not for a few more months at the least. I have other things to run between here and the capitol." He replied, staring down at the wolf, who didn't like that answer and cursed loudly.

"I need to get to the capitol NOW."

Luxord watched him, and his righteous anger. There was a bemused smirk playing on his lips, and he turned to look at Cid who shrugged, and they both looked back to him. As if sizing him up, seeing what he was capable of. Axel didn't like their looks, and he watched them both carefully. He hadn't noticed before... but the second man looked like Luxord. Just a bit older, with a bit more grease slapped on. If that was even possible. Watching them watch him, had to be the oddest moment he'd come across in awhile.

Finally Luxord seemed to nod, before looking at Axel carefully. "Alright... do one last thing for me, and I'll get you to the capitol."

Axel scowled. "No! I demand you take me NOW."

Cid shook his head smirking, before waving a hand. "Sorry, we got something to do here. Now, you can help out, and we'll take you right away, or you can get off the ship and hitch a ride there." There was a pause, as the smug look on Cid's face only grew broader. "That is... if you can find someone to take you... who won't kill you."

"Or worse... take you as a slave." Luxord taunted.

Axel stared between the two of them, and found himself trapped. He had to get to the capitol. But he couldn't without help. And from what he'd seen... he didn't want to risk it. Looking away, he frowned. "Let... me think about it."

Luxord nodded, watching him start to leave. "We'll be in here." He replied, taking a seat, as Cid joined him, pulling out a small clear information sheet, just as the door closed behind Axel.

The redhead let out a sigh, looking over his shoulder to the door, and looked away again, before turning and ramming his fist into the wall of the hall, and winced, shaking his hand out. He had no control. He was useless. Damned useless.

Turning to keep walking, he left himself into thought, ignoring the colors of the lights around him. Each step taking him away from the door, and further down the long corridor. The ramp steps echoed his footsteps, alerting Saix, who turned, seeing Axel looking a bit dazed. One blue ear went up, and he frowned. "What."

Axel twitched, looking up to Saix, and he blinked slowly. "I need your help." He didn't know why, but the words came out without thought. Saix looked, smelt, like an older wolf. "You're... from the moon tribe, aren't you?"

Saix arched his brow, and shook his head. "No." He said finally, turning to work on cleaning the shotgun out, making sure it was maintained. Axel found his eyes falling to the weapon, and he blinked. "I... would never have guessed you knew how to fight."

"Everyone knows how to point an aim. Easy as pissing." Saix replied, as if this talk was going to already agitate him. Axel held his ears back and he blinked slowly.

"Right... excuse me for lacking knowledge about these things... but I don't think that gun's going to do you any good."

"It won't." Saix replied, fixing the barrel back in place. "She's got one shot left in her. And even then, it might explode with that shot."

"Then... why are you keeping it around?"

Saix felt his eyes fall down a bit, before he turned to look at Axel, and he smirked. "I'm going to use it on the same man who used it on me." He said finally, tossing the bullet high up in the air, and letting it land in his palm. Pocketing it, he set the shotgun down in the foam he'd cut out for it, in it's case. His finger caressed the barrel one last time, and the old, splintered wood of the butt, before closing and locking the case. "What did you want?"

Axel shook his head out of the daze, before blinking up to him. His eyes went down, and he rubbed his face, before leaning against the wall, and expelling his breath. Saix waited patiently, while Axel explained the situation to him, and he smirked faintly. Sitting slightly on the table that had many of the hand guns laid out, he picked some up over the course of the rant, tuning him out at some of the more...vulgar and off topic parts.

When Axel had finished, he stood there panting, his tail rigid, and his ears back, the fire in his eyes only made Saix laugh at how cold he felt inside. Such fire was good... but it didn't give you the security that you'd finish. Just the impulsive moment to keep moving forward.

"Sounds like you had a lot on your mind." Saix finally said, when it seemed Axel had finished. The other wolf nodded, slumping into a corner with his head between his knees, needing to take deep breaths before he got sick.

"I'm just tired of being yanked around..."

"Oh wah." Saix replied, looking through another weapon. That response got Axel to look up. "Shut up, and quit the fucking 'pity me' act." The blue haired man continued, before his eyes landed on Axel. "Everything has it's place in the universe. And if you can't suck it up, and deal with it, then tough shit. You just don't belong then." He said finally, which made Axel instantly defensive and hurt.

"And here I thought you-"

"I'm not your friend." Saix said simply. "I'm another wolf on this insane ride, out for only me. Everyone's out for only themselves." He waved the pistol at Axel. "Quit your bitching, and grow a backbone."

Axel wanted to reply with a sharp retort, but it got lodged in his throat. "I'm not going to make it before the council, if I whine."

"Nope."

He looked down. "Just... everything's so hard."

"Life is hard. Everyone's got problems, and yours are no different. Nobody wants to hear it."

Axel nodded, as he was beginning to see the truth behind what Saix was saying. Rubbing an arm, he frowned, before reaching out and grabbing a pistol off the table, and he tossed it up and down in his hand a bit, before holding it high, pulling the clip of thermals out, before pushing them back in, and sighing, and bringing it back down. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Axel stepped out into the hall. He felt stunned, hurt. Like he couldn't rely on anyone, and there was a moment he almost thought of throwing a fit about it. But in the end, all he did was hurt himself. And as Luxord would say, 'I need you in prime condition to fight.' Yeah. Prime condition. Turning on his heel, he nearly ran Roxas over, staring down at the short man. He, for a moment, felt fear, but raised the pistol up instantly, and pressed the barrel to the mechanic's temple. Roxas blinked as he stared up to him, his ears back, and tail wrapped tightly down a leg.

". . . Axel?"

"You're not touching me again." He replied, shooting Roxas in the right knee, making the wolf cry out as he crumpled, and Saix moving out instantly.

Saix raised a brow, and crouched down to help pull Roxas to his feet. "When I said suck it up... I didn't mean to start shooting the hands."

"He's able to work. Just won't be doing any high op missions." Axel smirked, before turning to keep walking. He was losing himself, the more he spent time away from the colony. From the pack. He was finding himself losing more to anger, to rage. He was losing his compassion.

Oh, but he was learning so...so much more.

His tongue licked his lips, and he laughed in his head, shoving aside the bridge doors, and started walking to the two blondes with purpose, his eyes wild with excitement. "What did you have in mind." He said sharply.

Luxord looked up to him, and there was victory in his eyes.

**xXx**

_There's three steps to victory, in this little plan of ours.  
Take it slow, Not an option, Take your time, Not a chance.  
Only get one shot, In and out.  
Think you got what it takes?_

Step One: Bring down the defense.

Luxord looked around the street, his eyes narrowed a bit, before he slipped into a long ally. The pavement was damp, and he stepped in the puddles every so often. He could hear the rain overhead, but it barely reached him, as he looked up to see the cloths on clothes lines. People left them there for homeless urchins to hide under. He averted his eyes and kept moving forward.

Pushing open the metal gates, he looked at the guards by the door, and there was a long moment as the locket around his neck began to burn, and his eyes glowed, the azure leeching into the rest of his eyes. The guards turned their attention to the man, and they picked their weapons up, but it was too late. The azure bolts that built from the glow sliding down his arms, flew to them. They hit like water splashing around each man, as they were quickly engulfed and the glowing substance slid into their pores, before they slid down to the ground, each one having empty eye sockets, and some thick gooey mass dripping from their noses and ears.

As Luxord passed them to work the door open, soon the skin began to melt till nothing but skeletons in uniforms were left.

Shots and screams rang out from behind the closed door.

Luxord walked up to the terminal before him and pressed a hand to the console before him, while his eyes looked to the screens. He smirked, and slid into a chair, the connection board his plaything now. Behind him smoke rose, with several bodies melting into nothing.

_Step Two. Eliminate the mayor._

Axel walked up the hall, his hips swaying side to side. Wearing a fitted pair of pants and a neat blouse, his hair was brushed back and his ears hidden under a hat, his tail tucked up under the jacket over his blouse. He didn't even have to try, having bat his eyes at a sentry guard to get access. He ignored those walking around him and took an immediate right.

There he faced two more men, and he looked up at them, before grinning a bit, and leaning on his hip, gripping the folder to his chest. "I need to bring this to the mayor."

One looked down and raised a brow. "You're not usually her type."

"Oh... silly. I'm not here for that."

The man snorted, and peered at him, before holding his hand out for the folder. Axel willingly handed it over, and waited while the man checked it over. Looking to his partner, who was eying the redhead's ass, he nodded, and the first passed the folder back over. They stepped aside and Axel passed through while the monitor to check for weapons clicked green, and they shut the door.

The mayor was a petite blonde, who looked up curiously, while Axel smiled.

Five minutes later the alarm set off, signaling the stop of the mayor's heartbeat, and the two guards stormed in, to see Namine's head on the desk, foam seeping from her mouth, and her eyes rolled up into her head from convulsions.

Axel was already out on the street, wiping his lips clean, and walking away.

_Step Three: Infiltrate the military cart. Plant bombs._

Roxas looked behind him, as if making sure Cid and Saix were still there. Limping on his crutches, he shifted to sit down, and look closer at the panel before him. He couldn't figure out how to get it off, for the life of himself. Looking through his tool kit, he went through all of it, scowling, before Cid rammed a fist into it, making it pop off.

"Well, wasn't that just fancy?" Roxas snapped, before pulling the case closer. Checking the bomb discs, which were tiny little metal balls, that looked harmless enough... but when they were set off... it was a mess. Working the box up in there, and setting a timer for every five miles. Connecting the fuel cord to the box, and running it through, he had Cid help shove the new panel back on, which was weaker, and there was a hole near the bottom, which would let the bombs roll out.

Cid grabbed the mechanic's arm, and hauled him up to his feet, while Roxas grunted, and Saix held his gun level, waiting for the other two to get their boxes together. Scuffling, they headed back out to the side, door, checking for any guards, before diving right out.

_Remember. Victory can only be assured, if you can be in and out.  
Let no one see you._

No one at all.

Luxord smirked as he looked up from the frying pan, tossing the vegetables and meat. Everyone was sitting around giving details about what had happened, while Saix finally looked to Cid.

"What exactly are you hoping to accomplish by doing this?" He finally asked, leaning on his elbows and watching the blonde carefully. Cid only seemed to be pleased at being asked this and he sat up a bit straighter.

"Weaken King Xemnas' reign over the islands. It's time to end the war."

"What war?" Axel asked, raising a brow.

"The one that Fate has said is coming." Luxord replied, moving to put the pan in the middle of the table and sit down, while everyone started scooping food onto their rice. "Between the core, the islands, and the moon."

"Stopping it before it happens?" Roxas said, taking a bit, and chewing, looking between the two brothers.

Cid grinned. "We plan to."

**xXx**

THANK YOU FOR MAKING TO THE END OF YET ANOTHER CHAPTER.  
KEEP UP FOR MOAR UPDATES. 8D  
Hopefully tomarrow!

**P L A Y L I S T**

"Poker Face" by Lady Gaga (Luxord)  
"Aerials" by System Of A Down (Axel)  
"Trouble" by P!nk (Saix)  
"World Spins Madly On" by The Weepies (Roxas)  
"It's Not My Time" by 3 Doors Down (Cid)


End file.
